


Trusting the Process

by hellowkatey



Series: Republic Spies and Jedi Guys [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Force-Sensitive Reader, Insomnia, Obi-Wan Kenobi Needs a Hug, Obi-Wan Kenobi is a Mess, Order 66, Original Character(s), Post-Order 66, Secret Relationship, Sharing a Bed, Sharing a Room, Slow Burn, Spy and Handler, Strong Female Characters, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension, tragic backstory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-19
Updated: 2020-04-23
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:41:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 43,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23168692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hellowkatey/pseuds/hellowkatey
Summary: You and Obi-Wan have a history. One that usually ends in him trying his best to have you arrested, and you evading him successfully.When you're given a chance to reform your ways, you find more than just a new profession.
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi & Reader, Obi-Wan Kenobi/Reader
Series: Republic Spies and Jedi Guys [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1673530
Comments: 55
Kudos: 311





	1. I Signed Up for This

Work is hard to come by during a war such as this one. You never imagined yourself as a career criminal, but you felt the clutches of true hunger once, and that is not a feeling you wanted to feel again. 

As a kid, your mother told you stories of heroes and villains. In your head, you were the hero, wielding a glowing saber as you traveled the galaxy to maintain order for the people who needed it. Funny how your reality has you as the villain and more often than not, a certain nosy Jedi as the "hero". 

You aren't all bad though. In fact, you've been working to put the days of thievery and con artistry behind you. 

Today, running errands was all that was on your mind. You had a big payday last week-- big enough to comfortably sustain you for a few months. A cabinet full of rations, fresh food, and some time to lay low and put more thought into your career options was your goal.

You're at the market picking out some greens when you feel someone walk up behind you. Close enough that it is either a stranger with no personal boundaries or someone you know. 

"Do I _want_ to know what you're up to today?" a familiar voice rings in your ear. It's calm and even but certainly pointed with a hint of venom in his tone. You don't need to turn around to know that Obi-Wan Kenobi is standing behind you. He probably has his hands on his hips, looking at you with a disapproving glare that reeks of patronization. You decide not to turn around and humor his feeling of superiority. 

"Even _scum_ like me has to eat, you know, Kenobi." You hand the vendor a few credits, making a point to drop each coin individually into the man's hand, and turn around to face the Jedi. He watches as the vendor smiles and bids you a good rest of the day before going to help another customer. You cross your arms over your chest. "Can't even buy daro root without you breathing down my neck." 

He steps back, his cheeks slightly tinged pink. It makes you smile to see him rightfully embarrassed. 

"To be fair, nine times out of ten you _are_ doing something illegal." 

"Has it been nine times already?" 

You push past him, not in the mood for casual browsing of the market anymore. Leave it to Kenobi to ruin your day in just a few words. You're halfway down the street when you hear yelling coming from up ahead. You stop dead in your tracks and squint into the distance. Smoke rises and ships dart in every direction to avoid the crashes that are increasing in volume. You're so focused on determining what is going on you don't even notice the crowd of people has begun to rush past you until someone slams right into you. You go flying backward, landing hard on the ground. Your head bounces off the pavement and your vision blurs. The pounding of people's feet on top of your stomach and chest doesn't help your condition as you struggle to gain your bearings. The crashing is becoming louder and panic begins to set in. 

A pair of strong hands grab under your arms from behind, pulling you to your feet at a speed so quick your head begins to spin. 

"Woah there, you need to get out of here." Obi-Wan's voice hisses in your ear as he begins to drag you to the alley adjacent to the market. He practically throws you into the small space, you landing hard on your ass. You look up at him, his eyes wide and his saber already in his hand. It's a look you know well, though you don't think you've ever seen it not directed towards you. He takes a last look at you, his expression softening a little before nodding and taking off into the cloud of dust that has picked up. 

The clammer of battle droids is a familiar one these days. The explosions are frequent and make visibility hard but every so often you can see the blur of Obi-Wan's lightsaber and a plea of mercy from a battle droid that is quickly cut off mid-sentence. 

Why are you still here? You look back and the alley clearly leads out to the next street. No commotion over there, yet you can't find it in you to move. Is it fear? 

You find yourself looking for the green light of Kenobi's saber. When you don't see it for a long while your heart beats quicker in your chest. It annoys the shit out of you. 

Then again, how can you have a witty rivalry with a Jedi if your Jedi is dead?

You manage to pull yourself back to your feet but you still are standing in the alley watching this fight. The dust has begun to settle and now you have a full view of your hero counterpart taking out battle droids like no one's business. You can hear the blare of approaching speeders-- probably Jedi or clone reinforcements. As you observe you see a droid roll a blinking device out, it landing a few feet from Obi-Wan. He is busy slicing four droids to pieces and dodging blaster shots, and his back remains to the bomb. Your eyes widen, and before you can even process what you are doing you run out into the battle, pushing through the droids and dodging blaster fires until you reach Obi-Wan. Without hesitating you pick up the bomb and throw it as hard as you can into a particularly densely populated area of droids. As you do this Obi-Wan spots you, pulling you into his chest as a blaster shot skids past your head. 

"What the hell are you--"

The bomb erupts, and you and Obi-Wan, despite being a good distance away, are thrown to the ground. Your ears are ringing and your eyes are squeezed shut but you can feel Obi-Wan's arms wrapped tightly around you, shielding you. When you open your eyes you're on your back and he's on top of you, his bright blue eyes staring down at you in disbelief. He quickly slips off you and stands, scooping you up in the process and setting you on your feet before you can protest.

You look at the utter carnage around you. Most of the droids are disoriented, if not completely destroyed. There is an eerie quiet laying over the street, but there are explosions and the sounds of battle in the near distance. Obi-Wan speaks into his com, and you realize the ringing in your ears is blocking out much of the sound. Even as he turns his attention to you, you can only see his mouth moving. His eyes search your face and then glide down your body, resting on a low part of your abdomen. He bites on his lip nervously and lets out a sigh. You follow his gaze to your abdomen, where a shard of metal has embedded itself into your lower stomach. 

"Oh," you say, your shakey fingers slightly touching the metal. It worries you that you can't really feel it. 

"Come... me." Obi-Wan's voice sounds far away and patchy, like a bad connection. When your attention remains fixated on your wound he reaches up and nudges your chin up so you are forced to look at him. "You... medical atten..." 

You can only really nod through your daze. He slips and arm under yours for support and begins to guide you into the alley he originally left you in. With each passing second the ringing in your ears dies down and you realize he's been talking all this time.

"...could have been three streets over, what the hell were you thinking." 

"You would have, oh..." the pain in your abdomen finally starts to set in. His grip around you tightens to keep you upright. "would have blown up if I weren't there." 

"You wouldn't be injured!" 

"Better off than you dead."

"I would have thought that would be what you'd want." 

You make it to the next street and Obi-Wan pulls you into an abandoned shop. You sink to the floor while he paces. His face is covered in dirt and grime. His tunic has some dark red stains and you wonder if they are from his own wounds or from dragging you around. 

His words hit you harder than you expected. You knew Obi-Wan thought lowly of you, but you didn't realize he believed you capable of wishing such a fate on another person.

"We have our scuffles, but I don't want to see you blown to pieces. I don't want to see the separatists take over just as much as you." 

"That doesn't mean running blindly into battle-- unarmed I might add!-- and nearly getting yourself killed." 

"Why does it bother you so much? I am perfectly capable of--"

"I signed up for this." he interrupts, stopping his pacing and taking a step towards you so that he's nearly looming over you. "The battles, the ambushes, the danger. If I die in battle, then that is on me. But if you... if any civilian dies in pursuit of saving me like you almost did today..." he breaks eye contact, running a hand through his hair. "that is another innocent life on my docket that I can't handle to bear." 

You wonder how many civilians this man has had to watch die. You almost ask, but that seems to not be the best way of approaching his apparent grief. 

"Obi-Wan, look," you say as you pull yourself up. "I'm okay. It hurts like hell but it won't kill me."

"I can get you some bacta for that if you come with me--"

"I do believe you have a battle to attend to," you say, hearing the hum of droids being slashed by lightsabers and bombs erupting through the streets of Coruscant. "Like you said, you signed up for this. I can take care of myself." 

He nods, looking quite surprised at your position. Pulling out his weapon he starts for the door, but stops and looks back at you. 

"If I see you anywhere near the battle, I will have you arrested you on the spot." 

"What else is new?" 

He scoffs, a slight smile flashing on his lips before his serious expression resumes and he darts out the door. 

You fall back to the ground, letting out a gasp. So maybe your wound is worse than you made it seem.

* * *

Your eyes flutter open to a sterile room. You're lying on a hard cot and your head is pounding, but the dizzying pain that caused you to collapse in the shop earlier seems to have subsided. 

"Oh good, you're back." As your eyes adjust to the light you find none other than Obi-Wan Kenobi seated at your bedside. The residues of battle are still evident on his clothing, but at least he seemed to find time to rinse the dirt and blood off his face. "I was beginning to think I would have to find myself a new street thief to torment." 

"What are you doing here?" you croak, your dry throat sounding a lot less intimidating than you intended. Obi-Wan hands you a glass of water, which tastes like heaven. 

"Well, after the battle I came to look for you and found you hadn't gone too far before deciding to take a nap. I don't think the store owner would have taken kindly to finding you bleeding out on her floor." 

"Considering I lifted a pair of boots from her two months ago, maybe she would have welcomed that." 

"You-- nevermind, nevermind." 

"I'm kidding." 

"Ah of--"

"It was a jacket, not boots." 

Obi-Wan rubs his eyes with his hands. 

"You're much more tolerable when you're unconscious, you know." 

"So I've been told. Did you win the battle at least?"

"I probably wouldn't be here if we hadn't."

"That is... that is true."

You pick at the edges of your bandages, not really knowing what to say. You have other questions besides how the battle went. Like why Obi-Wan is sitting at your bedside. Or why you're exchanging pleasantries at all. With all the tubing and wires that are hooked up to you, you can't exactly escape whatever the strange energy between you is. 

If you're being honest, it's a bit of a relief to not have your guard up around him. 

"Can I ask you a question?" 

You nod, and he clears his throat, twiddling with a strand of his beard hair. 

"What were you thinking when you ran into the battle. To uh... save me from the bomb." 

You recall the moment. It's more a blur than a memory. 

"I... didn't think. It was like it all happened in slow motion. I saw it and it's like my body just knew what to do." 

Obi-Wan nods, processing your answer. "How long have you known you were force-sensitive?" 

Your eyes widen. How could he know? You weren't even sure, though you had your suspicions. This obviously confirms it. 

"I didn't know for sure." 

"Well... it seems you are. I can feel it now. I hadn't truly noticed it before, but it explains a lot."

You push yourself up in the bed, the inclining of your usual banter suddenly energizing you. "Are you saying I've evaded you so many times because of the force... a thing I don't know how to control or use in any way?" 

He twirls a few strands of hair on his beard. "The force works in mysterious ways, sometimes." 

"That's bullshit, Kenobi. Just admit it, I've successfully outsmarted a Jedi on more than one occasion." 

"You're starting to sound like my padawan." 

"Oh really, we should meet up to discuss our respective Obi-Wan is full of shit theories." 

"I'm sure Anakin would love that, actually, I'll be sure to _never_ introduce you." 

You can't stop the smile that has appeared on your face. Nor can Obi-Wan hide his own no matter what angle he puts his hand in front of his mouth, thinking stroking his beard with every other word is something normal. 

You almost don't want to bring it up, but you need to break the spell of whatever this is. See where his priorities lie.

"So, it looks like I'm not able to go anywhere. Is this where you finally make the arrest, General Kenobi? Are you just buttering me up so I have one last laugh before a jail cell strips me of my sense of humor?" 

His smile shifts to lips pressed together tightly. To your surprise, he sits down on the edge of your bed. 

"I have to be honest. My duty is to maintain order. And you're not exactly the poster child of that. But you also saved my life." 

"I've been looking for jobs you know," you don't know why you feel the need to explain yourself to him, but the words come pouring out. In your head, you would run into him and get to demonstrate the way you've turned your life around with a smug look on your face. Show him that he was wrong about you. "A real job." 

Obi-Wan looks surprised. "What will you do?"

"Hard to say. Think the Jedi Temple will let me mop their floors? My... skillset doesn't exactly translate well to a resume format." 

"Well," Obi-Wan says, standing up. "I actually think I may have a potential job for you. Let me talk to some people first, though."

You're completely taken aback now. Obi-Wan was trying to arrest you this morning and now he's networking for you. "Why? I mean... I'm grateful, but why help me?" 

He runs his fingers through his hair, biting a little on his lip nervously. "To be honest, I don't really know." 

He gives you a final nod and then leaves. The doors of the med bay slide closed and you find yourself alone except for a medical droid recharging in the corner. A small smile forces itself onto your face as you whisper to yourself, "Did I... did I break Obi-Wan Kenobi?" 


	2. You Have a Lot of Explaining to Do

Time flies when you're a spy for the Galactic Republic. It's surreal at times. You couldn't imagine loving a job more. It employs the skillset you've been developing by conning on the streets for a cause you actually believe in. Why did it take nearly getting blown up and accepting the help of a Jedi that has been chasing you for years to figure it out? 

The missions you've been on range from dead ends to retrieving critical sources of intel that result in battles being won by the Republic. You've become a respected asset, often being bounced around between the Jedi generals for whatever they need you for. 

Still, it was widely recognized that Kenobi was your primary handler. In the time you've worked with the man, Obi-Wan has evolved from an uptight ass that is always ruining your jobs to an uptight ass that always tries to ruin your fun but thoroughly supports your jobs so long as you stick to the plans. It's progress, at the very least.

Ever since you got to meet Anakin and found that you and he do enjoy discussing whenever Obi-Wan is back on his bullshit, you're pretty sure Kenobi has begun to regret his insistence on being accountable for you. While you were skeptical of how it would work, Obi-Wan is a good handler. He always has a plan and backups to supplement. He keeps a close eye on your missions and gives you a surprising amount of leeway. You even have found yourself going to grab a drink after missions. 

Dare you say it, you and Obi-Wan have even become _friends_. 

Things have been slow lately. Which can only mean something big is coming up. Obi-Wan and Anakin have been in meetings nearly around the clock. The last time you saw Obi-Wan he was going to his quarters, his eyes nearly closed already as he dragged himself through the corridor. That was nearly three standard days ago. So you sit around the Senate or the clone barracks, awaiting your orders.

It's morning and you hear your name being called. You look up from a book you've been reading to find Anakin walking down the corridor in his usual dark robes. He looks worn out, but he has a welcoming smile on his face when you meet his eyes. 

"Am I finally going to be useful?" you ask, jumping up to greet him. Anakin scratches the back of his head, his smile looking a bit more nervous now. 

"Well... yes. Obi-Wan isn't too happy about it, but yes." 

"When is Obi-Wan thrilled about _any_ mission I'm sent on." 

"Fair point. This one is... different though. You'll see." 

You follow Anakin to a briefing room. While many of your missions have included the collaboration of multiple Jedi, clones, and other officials, this time the room is nearly empty. Only Obi-Wan, Mace Windu, and now you and Anakin are present. As soon as you enter you can feel the dark mood, like when you used to walk in on your parents while they were arguing. Obi-Wan won't meet your gaze. 

"You've shown great promise in your time with us," Mace begins. "This mission we have decided to assign you to could be the most dangerous one yet, but after a lot of strategizing with Generals Kenobi and Skywalker, I think we've reached a consensus," he pauses to throw a pointed glare at Obi-Wan. "and are ready to send you in. General Kenobi, would you like to conduct the briefing." 

Obi-Wan lets out a slight sigh, "Very well." he presses some buttons on the hologram machine and a map appears. You immediately recognize the area. 

"You're sending me to Hutt Space." You say. Obi-Wan's head cocks at your recognition. 

"Yes. There have been some intercepted messages suggesting the Separatists may be doing business with the Hutts." 

"Surprising. The Hutts aren't exactly known for their helpfulness. Much the opposite, I'd say." 

Obi-Wan and Anakin exchange glances. He clears his throat and continues. "We are sending you to Tatooine, which is controlled by Jabba the Hutt. This is a less detail-oriented mission than usual as your only objective is to gather intel on what the Separatists are using the Hutts for. How you do that will require a bit more creativity and thinking on your feet. Does this sound... doable?" 

You look at Obi-Wan in the eye, knowing he needs solid reassurance, and you nod. 

The briefing continues with some more details and you are finally released after a few hours of going over information. Getting out of that room makes you feel like you've been holding your breath for years and now you can finally take a full breath. Obi-Wan is close behind you though.

"What was that?" he asks, his tone gentle yet you know it's more of a demand than a question. 

"What was what?" 

"All of that. I've never seen you act that way." 

"So what? What do you really know about me anyway?"

"Okay," he grabs your forearms and stops you from walking. "just hold on. If I didn't know better, you have a history with the Hutts. Which could be a major liability, so if there is something you need to tell me, I suggest you do it now." 

You rip your arm from his hand. "I'm not an idiot, I wouldn't have accepted the mission if I would be putting myself in danger. In fact, I'm probably perfectly suited for this." 

Before Obi-Wan can further question you, you take off down the corridor towards your quarters. He doesn't follow you this time. 

* * *

You should have denied this mission. Your pride got the best of you, and now you back in the belly of the beast. Maker, you should have denied it. Told the truth of your past. 

Obi-Wan hasn't brought it up since questioning you in the corridor. In fact, he hasn't spoken more than a few words since the briefing. Anakin says he's just worried about you. You try not to think about that explanation too closely. 

You land on Tatooine and quickly made your way to the palace of Jabba in the Northern Dune Sea. You are near to the steps with Obi-Wan's voice rang out in your coms. 

_"What is your plan?"_

"To go in and say hello." 

_"What? Are you mad?"_

"You did say this mission was up to me. This is how I'm doing it." 

_"That is--No I said-- You can't just walk in there unarmed and without backup."_

"I don't need backup and I'm sure Jabba would prefer me to be unarmed anyways." you stop and take a deep breath. "Kenobi, trust me, okay? I'll explain later." You turn off the coms before he can reply, leaving only your end open for him to monitor. Taking a deep breath, you enter the palace. 

You're met by guards immediately. 

"What is your business?" They ask in basic. 

"I am here to meet with Jabba," you reply in Huttese. "I am an... old friend you could say." 

You give them your name and one of them disappears. Minutes later the guard returns and they stand aside for you to enter. You walk down the long hallway, the pounding of music from Jabba's main chambers growing louder by the moment. A sound that has haunted your dreams for too long. Feeling a bit nervous, you turn your com back on. 

_"You know Huttese?"_ He sounds mad. Just hearing his voice and knowing he's looking out from you, even from afar, is comforting. You relax. 

"I do. I got past the guards, heading into Jabba's pit. Do _you_ know Huttese?" 

_"I can understand a fair amount."_

The main room opens up and you are met with the ever-grotesque face of Jabba. His beady eyes widen when he sees you, and you fall into a persona you had long abandoned. 

"It has been a long time since you managed to escape me." Jabba greets you in Huttese as you approach. 

"Escape you? I believe we have two different versions of that story, Jabba." you walk right up to where his massive body is splayed out. He gestures to one of the women in minimal clothing and she gets up, freeing the space. 

"Please, take a seat." 

"Thank you Jabba, I am exhausted from my journey." 

_"You have a lot of explaining to do, I hope you know that."_ Obi-Wan hisses thought your com. 

"What brings you back? This is surprising." Jabba asks. You chuckle. He's certainly right about that. 

"After I left, I bounced around the galaxy a bit. Turns out I am pretty bad at holding a stable job." 

"So...you want money?" he chuckles. 

"Now, Jabba, I know better than to come here asking for money. I have been living on Coruscant for years now, but with the war, I felt I needed to come home, but on my journey, I have become fatigued and in need of some rest. I need a roof over my head and a consistent meal for a few days. I was reminiscing on my days here, and thought the Great Jabba may have a position for me to fill for a temporary period." 

"Hmmm." Jabba vocalizes, taking a break from his contemplation for another one of his slaves to feed him some fruit. You listen for Obi-Wan to tune in on any of this, but your coms are silent. "You always were one of my favorites. I will have you. Return tomorrow before mealtime and we shall discuss my terms."

You stand and bow to Jabba. "Of course, thank you." You leave through the door you came in, already feeling like you need to take a scalding hot shower. 

You return to the room you have rented and lay down on the bed. You're in disbelief that any of that just happened. Before you can even begin to process, you hear a hologram call come in. 

_"Why didn't you tell me?"_ Obi-Wan's distorted voice says through the hologram. You look up to see a blue glowing version of the man hovering above the table. His arms are crossed, but his face is softer than you would have expected it to be. 

"You wouldn't have let me do the mission if you knew." 

_"You're damn right! There were so many other avenues you could have taken. But no, you marched right into the belly of the beast!"_

"It would have been more suspicious if Jabba caught me sneaking around--"

_"That's not the point. You should have told me you know Jabba. That he knows you."_

"This is not exactly a part of my life I like to dig up. I knew I could do the job and that is all that mattered." 

_"You're missing the_ point," Obi-Wan's calm demeanor is quickly fading into a more riled up temperament he usually reserves for Anakin or in the midst of battle. _"We could have taken more time to strategize or build a stronger narrative. What you did was reckless and could jeopardize the mission due to your nondisclosure."_

"My mission is to gather intel on the Hutts, right? Do you know what my job was when I was a servant to Jabba? I was a translator in meetings with bounty hunters, smugglers. Hell, I mediated a meeting between the entire Hutt council on one occasion."

 _"How did you even manage that?"_ Obi-Wan's anger dissipates into wonder and curiosity. 

"For whatever reason, Jabba trusts me. I served him... for a very long time to say the least." 

_"And he just let you go? How did you end up in Coruscant?"_

You bow your head, memories of your younger self running through the barren deserts of Tatooine and your less-than-legal methods of escaping the planet flash through your mind. It's a part of your life you don't think about anymore.

"With all due respect, General Kenobi, it is not relevant to this mission." he stiffens when you address him so formally as if he was remembering that this a mission and not a casual chat between friends. Seeing he won't push the subject, you give him a weak smile. "Though, I promise to tell you the whole story once I return." 

_"While I am curious, do not feel like I am making you tell me. If it is not relevant then--"_

"Don't talk me out of it then. It's about time I process my past anyways." 

Hologram Obi-Wan shakes his head. _"Some Jedi meditation would probably do you some good."_

"You'll have to show me sometime. I'm going to get some sleep. Goodnight, Kenobi." 

_"Goodnight."_

The hologram cuts out, darkening the room. You fall backward on the bed, falling asleep nearly as soon as your head hits the pillow. 

"Tie her wrists." A deep voice awakes you, and you are immediately on high alert. Your eyes fly open and you see two bounty hunters standing over you. One-- the human you recognize as Dengar-- lunges at you, shoving a piece of cloth in your mouth while the other-- a Kyuzo-- flips you and ties your wrists together before you can even process what is happening. You try to cry out but the cloth is nearly lodged to your throat. You gag, trying your best to squirm out of their grasp, but they manage to tie your ankles as well. 

Your head is whirling with confusion and panic, but your mind immediately falls to your handler. You have a panic button on your com. You just need to--

Shit. Your wrists are bare. Your com is on your cuff, which you took off before going to bed. 

You are hoisted into the air and thrown over the shoulder of one of the bounty hunters. You punch and kick at Dengar's back. The Kyuzo snickers, and presses a button. There is jolt of electricity and the world goes black. 

An icy liquid cascades harshly down your body, snapping you awake. You are kneeling in front of Jabba. The cloth that was in your mouth is removed, but your jaw still feels sore from its strain. You glare at Jabba.

"What is this?" 

"Reassurance of your loyalty," he says. The Kyuzo-- you now remember his name is Embo-- walks over to Jabba with a bag and hands it to the protocol droid that serves him. 

"Her personal items, Mighty Jabba." 

The bag is dumped out unceremoniously. Your spare clothes, a few toiletries, and your cuff gather in a heap on the ground. Luckily you packed light. 

Jabba tells one of his servants to look through your things. You watch as she sifts through every piece of clothing and examines your fresher products. Finally, she picks up the cuff, which is a base model. One of the most common in the galaxy. She looks at Jabba and shakes her head. 

"Are you satisfied?"

Jabba grumbles, gesturing to one of the bounty hunters. You feel a push on your back and with your hands still tied behind your back you fall forward, slamming your chin into the ground. Dengar's boot digs into your back, and you wince. 

"Sources tell me the Republic would send a spy. You show up the next day. You can understand my suspicion." 

Your eyes widen slightly, but you suppress your surprise. If Jabba had intel on the Republic sending a spy, then there must be a mole feeding information to the Hutts, which could be why the Separatists are interested in them. 

You have to try and save this. You don't know what time of day it is, but if it's past your morning check-in with Obi-Wan, you know he will go into rescue mode and come barreling through that door at any moment. You need to get back on Jabba's good side and get word to him as soon as possible. If anything, you can at least have Jabba believe you are neutral. 

"Then this is a horrible coincidence. The _last_ thing I would ever do is serve the Republic. I don't care about politics, and frankly what has the Republic done for me? I lived for years in Coruscant and spent most of it hungry. Hell, I was wounded by shrapnel from conflict I'm not even part of!" 

"All I have is your word, then?" 

"All my belongings are already in the dirt, I don't know what else I can give you. I truly am here to get away from the war, not to involve myself further. You've known me for years, Jabba. I stayed with you past my period of servitude, is that not a good enough demonstration of my loyalty?" 

He stews on this for a moment. You glance about the room and spot a small window to the outside in the corner. A beam of sunlight shines through it. You need to wrap this up so you can call Obi-Wan. 

"Remove her restraints," Jabba commands, and Dengar and Embo step forward with blades. Your ankles are freed first, and then your wrists. Finally, Dengar unlocks the electric cuffs, smirking at you while you glare. You pull yourself to your feet, lightly touching your chin where you hit the ground. When you pull away from the stinging wound your fingers are covered with blood from the deep gash. That will certainly leave a scar, but you at least have an out. 

"Thank you, Jabba. I understand and respect your cautious actions in this time of war. If you excuse me, I would like to tend to my wound and change into more suitable clothing." 

Jabba excuses you and you grab your things. A protocol droid leads you to your quarters. As soon as the droid exits you sweep the room for any listening devices. You know all the usual hiding spaces, and the Hutts rarely divert from tradition, so you are satisfied when you find nothing. You step into the fresher, and ring Obi-Wan's line while you press towels to your chin. His hologram comes up quickly.

 _"I have been trying to reach you for--"_ he pauses, taking in your hologram probably. _"You're injured? Are you okay? What happened?"_

"Jabba decided I needed to be roughed up to prove my loyalty," you say, removing the cloth from your face to show him the gash. You take some bacta out of your bag and press the patch to your face. It's not a glamorous look, but it'll do. "Bounty hunters Dengar and Embo woke me out of a dead sleep." 

Obi-Wan clenches his fist at his side and then releases it. _"Are you okay?"_

"I'm fine. Really. I talked to Jabba and he seems to believe my story for now. But I can't stay here long. Jabba knew the Republic was sending a spy." 

_"He knew? How could he know that?"_

"Well, who knew about this mission?" 

Obi-Wan stops, taking in a deep breath. _"Are you saying you think there is a mole?"_

"It's a theory. I am going to try to find out more when--"

_"No, we need to get you out of there. If there is a mole, your cover could be blown."_

"They obviously don't know who the spy is if they had to interrogate me. Just give me a few days, let me see what I can find." 

_"I really don't think--"_

"Please," you interrupt him, earning you a glare from your handler. "At this point, extracting me would be far more dangerous. I need to leave naturally, preserve my neutral image to Jabba as best I can. That means staying for a few days, keeping my head down, and seeing what else I can figure out." 

He sighs, shaking his head. _"I don't like this._ " 

"I know, but you just need to trust me." 

_"You're starting to sound like Anakin. Between the two of you and Asoka the council must think strong-willed rebelliousness is part of my curriculum."_

"Is it not?" 

Obi-Wan chuckles, allowing his General Kenobi demeanor to slip for a moment. His smile makes you smile. As quickly as it flashes on his face, it disappears into his usual neutral expression. 

_"I'll give you the time, but get out as soon as it is safe. Do you promise?"_

"Yes, I promise. I'll report back as much as I can." 

_"Excellent,"_ He reaches out of frame, which you assume is to hang up, but he stops for a moment, looking up at the camera. _"Be careful, okay? I don't want to have to bring you home in a bacta tank."_

He hangs up before you can reply.


	3. Half-Dead, Playing a Game of Fetch

The next two days with Jabba was fairly uneventful. After the interrogation incident, Jabba kept you at a distance, only allowing you to sit in his court and dismissing you for private meetings. While you tried to get information, everyone was tight-lipped. You suppose rumors of a Republic spy had everyone on edge. 

An unexpected pleasure of your position was sitting in on meal times. The food tastes like... well, your childhood. The burst of nostalgia surprises you, triggering a slew of memories you haven't thought about in years. As much as you hated being a slave to Jabba, you did grow up here. You made friends with the other slaves and had a fair amount of positive memories when Jabba's frustrations were pointed in another direction. It was far from a good childhood, but there were moments, you suppose. 

On the third day, it seemed your luck was changing for the better. Sitting in the court, a guest appeared in a long cloak. Jabba dismissed everyone, but as you stood he stopped you. 

"Stay. I require your assistance with this meeting." 

You sit back down, pleased that you will get some more intel, but there is something nagging you. You can't see the face of the guest, but you can feel that something isn't right. 

The room is empty except for Jabba's personal guards, the guest, and you. 

"Translate," Jabba says to you before turning to the hooded guest. "Why do you come before me?" Jabba says in Huttese. You repeat in basic. 

The guest reaches up and removes the hood. You hold in a gasp. The guest is a Zabrak with red and black skin. Horns shoot out of his head, and he is clad in dark robes, much like the ones the Jedi wear. Also, like the Jedi, he has a lightsaber strapped to his hip. Behind him is a much larger Zabrak, but with yellow skin. He has a permanent scowl on his face, looking at you suspiciously. He too has a saber. His looks to be double-ended though.

These men are no Jedi, though. You can feel the darkness surrounding them in a way you've never experienced before. Months ago, Obi-Wan told you the story of a Sith Lord he faced that killed his master. He was presumed dead for a long time, but Obi-Wan said he found out the hard way that he had somehow lived. He did not elaborate on how he discovered this. 

Something within you says this is Darth Maul. Whoever the other one is is still a mystery to you, but he unsettles you at the very least. 

"We come before the Great Jabba with a... request." 

"What do you request of the mighty Jabba?" 

"I have a business opportunity for the Hutt clan if he would be so kind as to set up an audience with the council." Maul glances over at you, his unsettling red eyes running up and down your body. "Who is this?" 

"I am a servant." 

"Can she be trusted?" 

Jabba hums his confirmation. 

Maul eyes you again, seemingly unconvinced. You try to remain as calm as possible, hoping that Jabba says something-- _anything--_ to draw his attention away from you. You know little of Sith Lords, but from what you've heard in legends they are not as polite with their use of the Force as Jedi, and tend to take what they want.

The larger one still lurks in the background, his hands behind his back, listening intently. He seems to be the submissive one. Maybe the apprentice?

Jabba finally replies and you translate, "The Mighty Jabba asks what is so important to discuss with the council."

"I would prefer to pitch it to the entire of the Hutt heads of the family... but I can tell you that it has the potential to double the profits of all the Hutt-controlled systems."

Jabba seems excited by this.

"You may return in the morning for a meeting with the entire council." 

"A _private_ one I do hope," he says, throwing you a dirty look. You try your best to remain calm at his threatening presence. Jabba reassures him that a protocol droid will be present. Maul seems satisfied by this. "Thank you, we look forward to discussing some business with you." 

Maul bows and departs the court. Your heart feels like it is in your throat and you need to talk to Obi-Wan as soon as possible.

You spend a few more hours with Jabba so you don't appear suspicious and then retire to your quarters after dinnertime. You shut the door to your quarters and go to dial Obi-Wan on your com when you freeze, feeling the same dark presence from earlier. 

"Who are you calling?" On your bed sits Darth Maul, staring at you with the same threatening look from earlier in the court. The yellow one is nowhere to be found, but that just makes you even more nervous. 

You enclose your hand around your cuff, twisting it a little and then dropping your hand. As you twist it you covertly activate the panic button. "Nobody, just adjusting. What are you doing in my quarters?" 

"A better question is, how do you know who I am?" He says, standing up swiftly and deploying his saber. He swings it softly, the blade hovering in front of your face. "Call for help, and I put this through your head." 

"Please," you plead, "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm just a servant." 

"A servant that isn't staying in the servant quarters? A servant who is sensitive to the Force and recognized me? No, you are not just a servant. Give me the truth." 

"Okay, I was a servant in my youth. I am staying here for a few days to rest, but I have been serving Jabba during my stay. That is the truth, I swear." 

He squints at you, his saber still hovering dangerously close to your face. "How do you know who I am?" 

What can you say? How can you not incriminate yourself? You search for a narrative, but in your hesitation, Maul's patience seems to run thin. Too quickly for you to even perceive, he jolts the saber downward, driving the tip into your shoulder just enough to send a jolt of red hot pain through your entire body, but not enough to be more than a flesh wound. You drop to your knees in pain, and he looms over you. 

"You're untrained. A missed opportunity, it seems. You would be a fairly strong Force wielder if you had the proper training. Even so, you could feel me through the force, could you not?" 

You blink through the pain, nodding slightly. 

"There's some honesty. So, who am I then?" 

You meet his eyes, trying your best to maintain contact through the burning pain. "You're a Sith. You don't need to be force-sensitive to feel the darkness around you." 

He smiles, but his sinister expression only unsettles you more. 

"Look who has a mouth on her." He backs off of you, deactivating his saber, but holding it firmly in his hand. He's not threatened by you, that's for sure. "Why Jabba allowed you to stay, is beyond me. If he has a liking for you, then he picked the wrong time to bring you out." 

So he plans to kill you. You have to choose what to do. You can try and fight your way out. You're no match for his saber, but you recall that Obi-Wan cut him at the waist, so his bottom half must be prosthetics. If you sweep his legs you can at least get a running start. 

You can play dumb. Beg for your life. It'll hurt your pride but you can't have pride if you're dead. 

Or...

"I should think you'd be more worried about what Master Kenobi would do if I don't return," you say, using the wall to hoist yourself up. As soon as you utter his name you can practically feel the temperature of the room increase. Maul reignites his saber and angrily jolts it forward. The fiery red blade embeds itself in the wall right above your shoulder, singeing the edge of your earlobe. 

Somehow you manage to not even flinch, ignoring the smell of burnt skin and maintaining intense eye contact with the Sith. 

"Obi-Wan Kenobi? Why, you know exactly who I am, then." 

"Darth Maul," you say, stepping forward. "Though, do tell me, when your master gets a new apprentice even when you are not dead, what does that make you?" 

"Silence." he hisses. You take another step forward. 

"A dropout? Lost cause? You were bested by a padawan. That is the story that I know of you." You're nearly chest to chest with Maul now. His eyes are practically staring straight through you. 

In the corridor, you hear blaster shots and heavy footsteps. A particularly loud shot near the door breaks Maul's concentration, and you take the moment to grab his wrist that holds his saber and sweep his legs out from under him. As he falls you kick his arm hard, his bone snapping and a primal growl escaping his lips as his saber is forcibly ejected from his hand, rolling across the floor. 

You don't think. You grab the saber, and dart out the door, hearing him stumbling to his feet just moments after you. 

Slamming the door shut you sprint down the hallway towards the back exit of the palace. Furious footsteps chase close behind you but you don't dare to look. Rounding the corner you find a group of troopers clearing rooms. One spots you, pointing to your frantic figure. 

"Espy?" he says, using the call sign the clone troopers gave you awhile back. 

"Blast him!" you bellow, finally glancing behind you to see Maul running, his broken arm tucked in tight to his chest, but his face the most pissed off you've ever seen a person. A rain of blaster fire starts falling, but you don't stop to see if the troopers have succeeded. You keep going, already hearing them begin to yell in retreat as the sound of armor slamming into the walls echos through the corridors. 

Through the exit, you come out into the hot Tatooine climate. The exit leads to a long pathway over a deep crevice. There is nowhere to hide and you are completely exposed. You keep running down the pathway, managing to press the com button on your cuff. 

_"Where are you?"_ Obi-Wan asks as soon as the connection is made. 

"Back exit, on the walkway. Maul is right behind me. I have his saber. There's another one too, but I haven't seen him." 

_"I'm sorry, you WHAT? Did I just hear you say, Maul?"_

"Yeah, that was the part of the update I didn't get to give. Just get me out of here." 

Running through the sand is exhausting you. You hear Obi-Wan barking frantic orders to the troopers. 

_"I'm in a transport. We're on our way to pick you up-- it'll be there any minute."_

"Fantastic. I--" You stop, though not by choice. Your body is frozen in place like your muscles have given up yet you're hovering. You turn slowly and unwillingly, a tightness enclosing around your throat with every degree you turn. You push down the panic, trying your best to keep yourself calm. It's not easy with your airway being crushed. 

"You're more trouble than it's worth." Maul spits. He's still far from you but he has the Force holding you while he leisurely walks forward. "I regret not killing you already. I'll be taking that back." He holds his hand out, and you feel the saber slipping from your grip. You squeeze your eyes shut, keeping your breathing steady and funneling all your strength into holding onto that saber. As soon as he has that back, you're as good a dead. 

You maintain your grip, but the strain is excruciating. You bite down hard on your lip, the metallic twinge of blood filling your mouth. You open your eyes enough to see that Maul looks... surprised?

The pressure on your neck tightens, and black dots swim in front of your eyes. You feel yourself lift off the ground even more, the brutal suns beating down on your face with a fiery intensity. You're going to pass out.

An approaching ship. It flies overtop the palace and swoops down. From the open door, you hear Obi-Wan yell out in a thunderous voice "Maul!" As Maul turns to look at the furious Jedi and to shield himself from the oncoming blasts, you put the remaining strength you have into throwing the saber down into the chasm. You keep that same concentration in making sure it accelerates downwards like a meteor striking a moon. 

An echo rings out from the chasm. Metal and rock colliding at a terminal rate. 

You drop to the ground, gasping hungrily for air. The world is growing dark, but you need to get on that damn transport. 

A thud. Your eyes open enough to see a pair of legs land close to you. Brown boots and the blue glow of a Jedi lightsaber. Obi-Wan faces the unarmed Maul in a threatening stance. 

Troopers rush out from the transport that has landed on the bridge. One scoops you up, carrying you away from Obi-Wan, but you can hear their final encounter. 

"I believe it's your move," Obi-Wan says, maintaining his stance. Maul chuckles. 

"Not yet. But soon." 

He jumps over the side of the bridge into the chasm below.

You sit on the floor of the transport vessel. Some of the clone troopers try to speak to you, but you are lost in a daze. Your adrenaline has come down, and the saber burn is throbbing, sending sharp jolts of pain through your body every few moments. Paired with the lack of air you had for a considerable time, you're a mess. Obi-Wan didn't get on the transport, one of the troopers told you. He went into the palace to gather the rest of the clones. You'll see him soon enough.

The transport docks on the ship, which almost immediately heads into hyperspace. One of the troopers escorts you off the transport, supporting your weight while walking to the medical bay. 

Your name rings out through the hangar. You look to the left and there stands Obi-Wan, his hair a mess from the wind blowing through it and his eyes wide as he sees you nursing your shoulder. You tell the trooper you will be fine and General Kenobi will take you to medical, and he obliges, leaving you. 

Obi-Wan approaches you slowly, taking in the hole in your clothes where Maul's saber melted away the fabric of your clothing and the dark red mark, already blistering and deeply inflamed. Your neck shows no sign of the assault-- though you still feel as though your entire windpipe could collapse at any moment. After it seems he's taken a solid inventory of your injuries, he closes the distance, gently pulling you into his chest into a hug. 

You're surprised at the forwardness of his action in such a public place, but feeling Obi-Wan's arms around you causes a warmth to spread through your body. For a moment, the pain coursing through your nerves halts. You snake your uninjured arm around his torso and let your head fall into his chest, returning the embrace. As soon as it begins it is over and he pulls away, shifting to your side to pick up where the trooper left you. His arm wraps securely around your waist. 

For some reason, you feel the need to insert humor into this situation.

"Well, you did say you didn't want to bring me home in a bacta tank. Technically, I am walking still." 

You don't need to see his face to know the disapproving yet amused look he is probably giving you. "Walking is a strong descriptor for what you're doing right now." 

"I'm standing, that's a start." 

"Perhaps," he says, exhaling a frustrated breath as you enter the corridor that leads to medical. "I should have been there sooner." 

"You couldn't have possibly been there sooner." 

"I could have pulled you out days ago."

"Then you wouldn't know Maul was putting together a team to meet with the Hutts." you stop a few doors down from the medical bay to finish this conversation before getting attacked by medical droids. "Obi-Wan, this is part of the gig that _I_ signed up for." 

"That's not a good--"

"It's the same excuse you used when you got angry with me for not letting you blow up." You point out. He rolls his eyes but he doesn't refute. "Besides, I feel as thought that could have been worse?" 

"Worse? I found you half-dead playing a game of fetch with a Sith's saber. How did you even get ahold of it?" 

"I crushed all the bones in his wrist."

Obi-Wan just stares at you, disbelief etched across his features until it gives way to a smile he can't seem to hold back. "You know what, the less I know, the less explaining to Master Windu I have to do. You should get seen by medical and then we can do a full debrief. 

You and Obi-Wan part ways. It isn't until you're lying in the medical bed smothering your shoulder in bacta that you come to the realization: you used the Force today. Against a Sith. An injured and out of practice Sith, but a trained force-user. 

And you won. 


	4. Am I Wrong Though?

The debriefing is lengthy. You nearly fall asleep a few times, which was impressive considering you were the one doing most of the talking. Obi-Wan suggested finishing in the morning to allow you to recover. Most of the important details were documented already anyways. 

While you were ready to sleep in debrief, the darkness and solidarity of your quarters were not conducive to attempting to sleep. The longer you laid there staring at the ceiling the more the reality of the last week set in. Every time you closed your eyes you could feel your wrists and ankles were bound. Every time you opened them you saw Darth Maul's face. 

After a few hours of sleeplessness, you gave up. Slipping on a cloak, you stepped out of your quarters and began wandering the massive cruiser. Whenever you found yourself somewhere you recognized, you went the other direction. Your mission was exploration, though not much in a military ship was necessarily a buried treasure. Not many were out and about during this time either. You crossed paths with a few clones, but none of them questioned you.

By your guess, you had found yourself near the rear of the ship. The low hum of the engines rumbled beneath your feet. At the end of the long hallway, you spot an open door. You approach it, peering in hesitantly. What you find makes you gasp out loud. 

It's not a large room. Maybe double the size of your quarters. From what you can tell it's some sort of a lounge. Maybe where ambassadors or senators stay from the soft carpeted floor and comfortable looking couches. What has you in awe is not the spot of comfort aboard a gray military vessel. 

It's the view.

The entire far wall is a massive window stretching from floor to ceiling. As you step into the room the bright rays of light that come with traveling through hyperspace illuminate your face in strips like a gentle caress. You think of how beautiful it would be to sit here while the ship is at cruising speed. Being able to watch the planets, moons, and stars drift in and out of view. 

The couch is as comfortable as it looks, you figure out. You practically collapse into it as exhaustion scolds you. As you watch the hyperspace lights go by your eyelids get heavier and your minds drifts. It wouldn't hurt to rest your eyes for a few minutes before returning to your quarters.

Right? 

The sound of footsteps wakes you. You groggily open your eyes, curious as to how you can hear someone walking through the corridor so clearly. Maybe you left your door open. How embarrassing that would be.

It seems you also left your light on, judging from the excruciatingly bright light that greets your drowsy eyes. You groan, squeezing them shut again. 

"I see you found my favorite hiding place," A voice says, and you sit straight up, your eyes flying open. Obi-Wan Kenobi sits next to your feet on the plush couch. This is not your room at all. Your adventure from the previous night comes flooding back.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sleep here. I was just--"

"Taking a walk? You wouldn't be the first," he smiles at you sincerely and looks around the room. "This room used to be for distinguished guests that may be traveling on the ship. It was locked until Anakin managed to "accidentally" break the locking mechanism, making it open for anyone. Not like we get many guests anyways."

"It's beautiful." 

"Indeed. It makes you forget you're at war. Even if only for a few moments." He looks off into space again. His usual neutral expression has melted away for one that seems to be troubled. It's not often Obi-Wan sheds his carefully crafted exterior. You push yourself into a sitting position, folding your legs into you and pulling the cloak over your lap. 

Though, you're wearing your cloak, aren't you? 

You glance at Obi-Wan, who is just sporting his usual light brown robes, but no thick cloak. From the familiar look of the coat and the smell that is distinctively Obi-Wan wafting from the fabric whenever you move it near your face, you conclude that this is his. 

Always the gentleman.

"How do you deal with it?" you ask, running your fingers along the fabric of his cloak to distract yourself from your mind telling you not to go down this line of conversation right now. You ignore your mind. 

"Deal with what?" 

"War. The horrible things you see nearly every day. How do you sleep?

He chuckles like you've told him a bad joke. "I don't sleep. Not very well, at least."

"So it doesn't get better, is what you're telling me."

"Who do you see? When you close your eyes." 

You look down at your lap. "As of lately, Maul." 

Obi-Wan stiffens when you say his name. You look away, knowing you may have brought up a sore subject. You feel movement, and then Obi-Wan's hand softly rest atop yours. 

"He can't hurt you anymore. I won't let that happen. Running into him was... an unexpected coincidence. I'm sorry you even had to face him." He pauses, running his thumb gently along your skin. "Though, I'm sure he's sorry he had to run into you the way you dealt with him." 

This makes you smile. Somehow the even tone of his voice always seems to soothe you. Even in your criminal days, he had this effect on you. No matter how much trouble you were in, deep down, it relieved you to see him. He grounded you in a strange, backward way. Working on the same side as him has made that even more true. 

"I was born on Dandoran," you say. Obi-Wan raises an eyebrow. 

"You don't have to--"

"I want to. Really, at this point, I need to." 

"Alright. I'm listening then." 

"I was born on Dandoran. My parents were smugglers, though after they had me they wanted to settle down for a while. I remember them alternating who would go do a job and who would stay with me whenever we ran low on credits. That system went on until my father didn't return from a job. We waited and waited for him to return, but he never did. Did some digging later and discovered his ship was destroyed in a meteor belt.

My mother was heartbroken and angry. She believed he left us deliberately. She drowned her sorrows in spice and alcohol until a bounty hunter showed up at our door one day. The mission my father perished on was for the Hutts."

Obi-Wan squeezes your hand. You can feel the tears forming in your eyes in recounting the most sensitive details of your life. It's a story you haven't heard out loud until this moment. 

"I was ten at the time. My mother was passed out, too high to speak. I answered the door and the bounty hunter pushed me aside and started rummaging through the house. I didn't know what to do so I went to my mother. Tried to get her up. She was conscious, but... not all there yet. My screaming for her only led him to her sooner. 

When she saw him, it was like life sprung back into her. She fell out of the bed, stumbled around. Managed to pick up a blaster but didn't get a shot in before the bounty hunter knocked it out of her hand and started beating her. He was yelling about money we didn't have. Every time she denied it, it was like he thought hitting her again would make credits magically appear. I blacked out at some point because I woke up in our living room. My mother and the bounty hunter were gone. 

They came to collect me the next day. Took me Tatooine where I became an indentured servant to pay my family's fine. That brings me to being involved with Jabba. Jabba, well... he likes to have his toys. When I grew older, he began keeping me around more. Forcing me into immodest uniforms. I hated it but I used it to my advantage. I won his trust. I was fluent in many languages so I demonstrated my usefulness and worked my way into a less demeaning position. Even when my period of mandatory servitude ended..." you look out the window, not wanting to see his face for your admission. "I stayed for another year and a half. I only left because in my position as a translater and in sitting in on so many meetings, I knew too much to not do anything about it. It weighed on me, and one day I just packed up and left. Pickpocketed my way to enough credits and convinced enough people to get me to Coruscant. You know where that led me." 

You look up at Obi-Wan, tears streaming down your face. "The worst part is, I never looked for my mother. The first thing I did once I left Tatooine was to find out what happened to my father. After fifteen years as a servant to Jabba for reasons I didn't even understand, I couldn't bear to know the truth."

With that, Obi-Wan takes his hand off yours and pulls you into an embrace. The second hug he has given you in two days. You cry softly into his shoulder, balling the fabric of his tunic in your hands as he rubs circles on your back. He just holds you while you release the pent up agony that has been accumulating all your life. 

You don't know how long you sit there, wrapped up in his arms. He makes you feel like you have all the time in the world. His fingers brush through the ends of your hair, trace the wrinkles of your cloak. At one point, though you believe you may have dreamed it, he presses his lips to your forehead. You feel safe in your most vulnerable state. 

When your tears finally cease, you pull back, loosening your grip on him. 

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't keep you from your duties."

"Someone would call me if I had anything important to do. I am here, fully, with you." 

"Do you ever think about how weird this is? You and me sitting here talking civilly. Hell, I just told you my life story like you weren't threatening to chop off my hair with your lightsaber like six months ago?" 

Obi-Wan chuckles. He's still sitting close to you, one arm propped up on the back of the couch and the other hand resting lazily on your knee. It's a friendly touch, you tell yourself. As you've come to discover in the past few weeks especially, Obi-Wan is a touchy man when it comes to shows of affection. A reassuring pat on the back. A hug after a mission. A playful nudge in the ribs when joking around. Maybe so much solitude through his life-- not forming close attachments-- makes him feel like he needs to be connected more. 

That's your theory at least. 

"It's a little strange, but no unsurprising. I was only so hard on you because I could tell you were a good person." 

"Bullshit, Kenobi. Don't try to Jedi wisdom your way into thinking you saw this coming."

"We do have excellent foresight, you know." 

"Jedi also seem to lack the ability to admit when they're wrong." 

He places his hand on his chest in mock offense. "Hurtful." 

"Am I wrong though?" 

"I don't know. Anakin seems pretty good at admitting his faults." 

"Apologizing _after_ doing the stupid thing isn't admitting he's wrong, it's satisfying you as his master." 

"Woah there, who said the things I do are stupid?" Anakin's voice rings out as he strolls in the lounge. His voice makes both you and Obi-Wan jump, but while you are surprised by his sudden appearance, Obi-Wan has slid backward on the couch so there's a gap of space between you two. 

"You jumped out of a moving speeder, unarmed, in pursuit of a bounty hunter last week." You say, raising an eyebrow. 

"You ran into a door yesterday," Obi-Wan says, a playful smile tugging at his lips. Anakin rolls his eyes. 

"Great, there's two of you now," he grumbles, giving you a side-eye, "I thought _you_ were on _my side_." 

"Most of the time, yes." You glance at Obi-Wan who continues his mock offense routine. 

"Any updates for me, Anakin?" He says, switching gears. 

"Not really. We'll be arriving back at Coruscant soon though. Oh, and Master Windu said your debrief will occur once we get back to the temple since... both you didn't show up earlier." 

You look at Obi-Wan wide-eyed. "You didn't say anything!" 

"You... looked like you could use the sleep," he says. 

"I'll remember you saying that the next time I sleep through a meeting," Anakin says mischievously. "I'm going to go get Rex's report, I'll..." he looks between the both of you, his eyes zeroing in on Obi-Wan's cloak still draped across your lap. "leave you two." 

Once Anakin is well down the hallway Obi-Wan sighs, pushing a tuft of loose hair out of his face. "He will be the death of me." 


	5. We Have a Reservation

You enjoyed the solidarity of solo missions. By the nature of war, you spent every waking moment with other people whether it was the officers, Jedi, or the clones. When you got to go on missions, especially ones where you just had to gather information from afar, you loved the freedom it gave you to breathe something other than other people's air for a few days. 

Which is why your new assignment was disappointing, yet exciting at the same time. 

Obi-Wan would be accompanying you this time. You were to go to the desert planet of Cantonica, a risky mission since the entire sector was considered neutral and independent of the republic. 

"Canto Bight is supposedly becoming very nice. They're building a casino in the hotel." 

"You gamble, Master Kenobi?"

"I don't like to." 

"Why? You would probably make a killing with those mind tricks of yours." 

He glances over at you from the pilot's seat of the ship. "Careful, your criminal side is showing." 

You enter the atmosphere of Cantonica. Coming down through the clouds you gape at the view. 

"I thought you said this was a desert planet." 

"It is." 

"Wow, I didn't realize deserts had oceans."

"Ah, the Sea of Cantonica," Obi-Wan chuckles. "The largest man-made ocean in the galaxy. That will tell you anything about what the people in Canto Bight are like."

Obi-Wan lands the ship and you return to your quarters to gather your things. You're turning around to go meet Obi-Wan when you find him standing in your doorway, nearly crashing into his chest. 

"There's something I need to tell you about this mission," he says. From the way he is twisting the hairs on his beard, you can tell he's nervous. 

"What is it?" 

"I had Anakin and Ahsoka call and make the reservations for us. And well... they seemed to have taken it upon themselves to tell the hotel reservation staff that we are coming here on our honeymoon."

You burst out laughing. You're not really sure why, but it's the involuntary response that your body decided to go with. Obi-Wan rolls his eyes. 

"I didn't expect the thought of marrying me to be so _hilarious_." 

"It is... I mean, it's not." You place a hand on Obi-Wan's forearm. "You'd be a wonderful husband, Kenobi. You have to admit the situation is funny though. And not a bad cover." 

"I suppose, but I'm still going to have the two of them washing starships until they are older than Yoda." He sighs and pulls a box out of his pocket. "Anyways, here is your ring." he opens it up to reveal a glimmering wedding band. It's simple, with a small stone set into the center of the band.

"It's gorgeous," you carefully pick it up out of the box, noticing that the band itself has tiny embellishments engraved in the metal. You slip it onto your ring finger. It fits perfectly. 

Obi-Wan picks up a second ring that is underneath the cushion of the first. A similar band but without the stone. He puts it on, staring at it with a blank expression.

"What is it?"

"Nothing. I just... It's weird to see this on my own finger." He looks up at you with a sad smile. "The Jedi code forbids attachments and well... Marriage is the greatest of attachments." 

"Well," you loop your arm into his and pull him into the corridor. "it may be fake, but at least now you can get the experience. Even if it's just with me." 

He gives you a strange look but doesn't press the subject further.

The two of you exit the ship and are immediately met by law enforcement. 

"State your name and business." 

You give them your name and then look at Obi-Wan. 

"Ben Kenobi, we are, uh, here on our honeymoon actually. We have a reservation at the hotel." 

They confirm on a list and wave you through. Once you're far enough away you jab him in the side. 

"Ow! What was that for?" 

"Ben? You didn't tell me we were doing fake names." 

"You don't need a fake identity." 

"And you do?" 

"I'm a Jedi and Republic war general, so yes, my name is easily accessible. There aren't that many Obi-Wan Kenobi's running around the galaxy to my knowledge. All that's on your record is limited documentation on your time in Tatooine and an address for an apartment in Coruscant." 

"I could have picked a fun one though, really gotten into character--"

"Using your actual name is safer. Less room for error." 

Of course, he's correct about that, but you aren't about to let him know that. You walk arm in arm from the docking bay towards a grand hotel. Half of it is seemingly under construction-- the casino Obi-Wan was talking about-- but the other half looks quite nice for a small city in the outer rim. 

Obi-Wan-- sorry-- _Ben_ checks in while you walk around the lobby, taking in the layout of the building and marking the exits as a mental note in your brain. When he approaches you he has that same embarrassed and nervous look on his face as before. You wait until you're in the elevator to ask.

"What now?" 

"One bed." 

"Well, of course, it's a honeymoon after all. Never been married but I do suspect people on their honeymoon don't tend to sleep in twin beds." 

"You're... okay with it?" 

You give him a side-eye. "So long as you don't snore." 

They put you on the fifth floor. You and Obi-Wan step out into the hallway. Even the corridor is lushly decorated with thick carpet and intricate designs painted into the walls.

Your room is at the end of the hall, located near an emergency exit route. Obi-Wan unlocks the door and stops before opening it. 

"Should I... carry you over the threshold?" 

"Shut the hell up, Kenobi." you groan, pushing through the door and entering the room, which immediately silences your sass with a gasp. "Stars, that is ridiculous." 

The room itself is fairly normal. Like the rest of the hotel, it's nice, but not extraordinarily massive. However, past the large bed that could likely fit three of you is a massive window leading out to a balcony. The balcony looks over the ocean, and by the timing of your arrival, the sun has just begun to set over the water, casting gorgeous ribbons of pink, yellow, and orange across the waves. 

You walk through the rest of the room, examining the empty drawers and spacious fresher. As you come across the desk, you spot a tub with a bottle of alcohol sitting on a bed of ice. A little card on the table reads _Happy Honeymoon Mr. and Mrs. Kenobi!_ You grin, slipping it into your pocket before Obi-Wan finds it and uses his lightsaber to burn it out of existence. 

"Look what we have." you hold up the bottle to show Obi-Wan. He rolls his eyes. 

"You do realize we aren't actually on our honeymoon right?" 

"Well obviously, but it would be irresponsible of us to let this go to waste." He gives you a stern look. You toss the bottle across the room, which he, of course, catches out of reflex. "Live a little. Plus we don't have to begin until morning. Sharing a bottle of wine isn't going to even get us tipsy." 

"We could be going over routes, plans--"

"We did that yesterday." You snatch back the bottle, opening it up before he can protest. "Now I can drink this whole thing myself, and I will do _happily_. Or you can join me." 

"This feels like peer pressure, you know." He says but waves his hand and one of the wine glasses they provided slides forward.

"It's what us regular folk call a Jedi Mind Trick." 

He chuckles, and you hand him a glass of the sparkling wine. You raise your own in a toast. "To a long and happy marriage." 

As it turns out, it is entirely possible to get a tad tipsy on a single bottle of wine. An hour later, you lay on your back on the bed, your head hanging off the side while Obi-Wan sits cross-legged on the floor, wedged between the wall and the bed. 

"And you just jumped straight through the window?" 

"I had to get that droid!" 

"By jumping through a window? I thought Anakin was the reckless one." 

"Who do you think practically raised the boy for ten years?"

You roll over in a fit of laughter. The world is light and airy and for once you don't feel the pressures of war on your back. You'll likely feel guilty about it later. How can you sit here and laugh freely while there are people int he galaxy dying? 

Then again, the buzz in your system isn't allowing for you to dwell on that fact for too long. You're sort of thankful for that.

For now, you're just enamored with seeing Obi-Wan in a similar state. Instead of his controlled, polite smiles, he has this grin on his face that you can't stop staring at. You didn't realize he a dimple on his left cheek. Or that his eyes scrunched up when he laughed.

"You're staring," he says, his gaze also fixed upon you. 

"This is Obi-Wan Kenobi in rare form, I mustn't let myself forget this moment." 

He rolls his eyes, grabbing the edge of the bed to assist him in standing up. You stick out your lower lip. 

"Is it bedtime already?" 

"Well past probably." He reaches over and grabs one of the pillows and throws it on the ground at the foot of the bed. You raise an eyebrow. 

"What are you doing?" 

"Sleeping on the floor." 

"I appreciate the sentiment, but this bed is more than big enough to house the two of us." 

"Are you certain?" 

You reach over and pick up the pillow, throwing it back to the headboard. "Very." 

The two of you get ready for bed, you taking the fresher and him changing in the room. When you come out, he has already nestled himself into the bed, watching you closely as you take the place next to him. Despite what you said earlier, your stomach flutters a bit as you settle in next to him and realize despite the large size of the bed you can still feel his presence next to you. 

Though, it's not necessarily an unwelcome one. Obi-Wan has grown to be a good friend and a trusted confidant. You feel safest when you're with him.

Even so, sleep still has been troublesome. You stare at the ceiling for an hour. You listen as Obi-Wan's breathing slows and becomes evener. Every so often the air quietly whistles out of his mouth. You started rating this on a scale of not a snore to a snore. He had a few that were nearly a snore, but most scored pretty low. 

You really need sleep. 

You roll to your side that faces towards Obi-Wan. He's a side sleeper, his body facing you and legs curled in. It's incredible how young he looks when he sleeps. Like he shouldn't be old enough to be in charge of an army and a seasoned Jedi master. When he's awake he wears the losses of battle on his face. Now though, you can see the creases in his face disappear and his jaw relax. He rolls over a lot when he's just getting to sleep, so his hair has already tangled itself into an impressive bedhead. Sleeping Obi-Wan is a carefree young man. How different from reality that is. 

The thought that keeps popping into your brain that you keep pushing down is how handsome he is. Whether he's sleeping and relaxed or awake and wound up, the pesky observation always makes itself known at least once every time you see him. You've gotten to the point where it doesn't even bring a blush to your cheeks anymore since the though has become so commonplace. Your attraction to the Jedi has been a long-standing status, though. From the first time you met him you were struck by his bright eyes and well-groomed looks. He seems to always give off the aura of being up to something mischievous, which manifests itself in snarky quips and comments that walk the line between friendly interaction and flirting. 

It drives you wild. 

This mission will probably be the death of you. Pretending to be the man's wife? If he didn't already know about the tiny crush that you've formed for him, he certainly will find out now. And then what? He's a Jedi. 

If Obi-Wan gets to live in the fantasy of being fake married, you can indulge yourself too. As carefully as you can, you inch yourself closer to the sleeping Jedi. Just close enough that you can feel the edges of his breath hitting your nose and the heat of his body like a faint glow. Just enough that you feel a little more connected. You close your eyes, matching his breathing pattern and slowly drifting off. Finally. 


	6. You're Not Going to Like My Answer

You wake up to the sound of Obi-Wan stirring about the hotel room. As you roll over you spot him slipping on his shirt, a flash of his muscular back enough to make you flush. You roll back over before he can see.

"Apologies, I thought you were asleep."

"I am asleep." you reply, shoving your face into a pillow. 

"I see. Well, it's time to get up anyway. We have a brunch date." 

You groan, pushing yourself up into a sitting position before your body decides to forcibly put itself back to sleep. "On my actual honeymoon, there will be no getting out of bed until at least late afternoon."

"Duly noted," Obi-Wan rolls his eyes. "Can you be ready in an hour?" 

"Please, I can be ready in half an hour." 

An hour later you're ready. You put on your best touristy outfit-- a pretty powder blue casual dress curtesy of Padmé's last season closet. By the grace of the maker your hair came out surprisingly nice after your shower, so you didn't have to put much work into it. After a quick application of light makeup and some simple jewelry, you look in the mirror of the fresher. 

You haven't looked so nice and put together in a long time. You hardly recognize the woman looking back at you, but you aren't entirely opposed to her. You suddenly understand why Padmé insists on always wearing such intricate fashion-- you've never felt so confident in a garment. And this is one of her simpler outfits. 

You step out of the fresher to find Obi-Wan sitting on the bed meditating. He's also out of his ordinary clothing. While his robes were similar to the light brown ones he usually wears they instead have a blue hue with a black belt and boots. He opens his eyes when he feels your presence, and you're immediately drawn to just how blue they look with that color clothing. 

"What?" he says, looking down at his robes. "I'm not really sure about them and--"

"Blue really is your color." 

"What?" 

You give him a reassuring smile. "It looks good, Obi-Wan. Plus, we match." you look down at your own dress, twisting your body so the skirt flows around you. You look back at him and he's taking his time to examine you from head to toe.

"Padmé?" he says once he finishes giving you a once over.

"Does this look like something I'd have hiding in the back of my closet?" 

"Not particularly." he chuckles, standing up and offering his arm to you. "Ready for the day, darling?" 

You blush at his comment but take his arm. "Of course, _Ben,_ my dear." 

The hotel brunch is just as high end as the rest of the hotel. Tables clad in bright white clothes and an arrangement of silverware that you would have no idea what to do with even if you were properly raised to know the etiquette. At once, a waiter greets you and Obi-Wan with glasses of light wine and bowls of fresh fruit. All of it is immaculately delicious. For a moment you almost forget you're on a mission. 

You're looking to find out about weapons dealings to the separatists. There is a rumor of a weapon of mass destruction. Your goal is to see how widespread this knowledge is. 

"I think our targets are at the table directly in front of you. Two down." Obi-Wan says, leaning in so his lips are just in front of your ear. You muster a fake bashful smile like he's whispering you sweet nothing in the public eye. Placing a hand on his cheek delicately you push his head to give you room to do the same to him. 

"I've had my eyes on them. A Suerton, a human male, and a human female. The Suerton seems to be the dealer and the human male a customer or underling. The female... well she doesn't seem very much engaged so far. Maybe just a date."

"Impressive."

"It is my job, after all." 

Your whispering is broken up by the waiter bringing the next course. 

"I wish food was served to me during all my missions." 

"We are certainly living the high life for this one." Obi-Wan sighs. You understand his sentiments. You hold the same reservations about the hypocrisy of this mission. 

"Listen, we wouldn't be able to hold any credibility if we walked around in our issued clothes and ate on rations. This is the best way to get information quickly, which is what we need." 

"I know it still feels strange, though." 

"For a slave and a Jedi, no wonder." 

Obi-Wan puts his fork down, giving you a serious look. For a moment you're afraid he's mad that you spoke about him being a Jedi out loud. Talking out of character like this is certainly not the best way to hold a cover, but with hardly anyone else in the dining area and talking quietly as the two of you are, you didn't think it to be a big deal.

"You're not a slave," he says, the intensity of his look unmatched by the softness in his voice. "Not anymore." 

Even when you think you have Obi-Wan figured out, he continues to surprise you. "Well, I know that. I was one though." 

"Yes, but don't insult who you've become by quantifying yourself by your past. You're brilliant at what you do." 

You're flattered at his attempt to validate your self-worth and the hard work you've put in the last few months. At the same time, you can't help but feel a pang of guilt for those of your fellow servants and slaves that didn't get the chance to start an independent life. It's a burden that constantly weighs on your heart. A blemish in the galactic society that you can't fix yet you so desperately want to be able to abolish. 

" _Ben,_ I know what you're trying to say, but I don't think--," You see the woman from the table of interest get up and make her way over to the bar. "I don't think I want to speak about this right now." you stand up, looking down at him and then at the bar. "Don't follow me. I need a moment." You storm off in the direction at the bar, hoping that Obi-Wan understands your message. 

You can feel him watching you as you approach the bar but you refuse to look back. The woman is sitting there, her finger circling the rim of her glass. From her long brown hair intricately braided down her back to her extravagant gold dress, she exudes the aura of wealth and beauty. Sitting two seats away from the woman, you ask for a drink, letting out an obvious sigh of frustration. She looks at you, her dark brown eyes scanning you from head to toe. When you catch her eye you give her a tight smile.

"Men are the worst sometimes." 

"Sometimes?" she chuckles. 

"You're absolutely right. Why do I even grant the credit?" 

The bartender hands you a drink and you ensure your ring is her full view. She takes the bait, looking at your hand and then back at your table. "Newlyweds?" 

You grin, looking at your ring. "Yes! We wed only two standard days ago." 

"How lovely." she takes a long swig of her drink. "Can't say I share the same luck." 

"Oh please, look at you. You're young and stunning! Your soulmate is out there somewhere in the galaxy." 

"Maybe somewhere on the other side of it." 

"Now, what has you drinking hard alcohol in the morning?" you gesture to the dark liquor in her glass. You sense her hesitation to your question. "I'm here because my husband insulted my entire family in a single sentence." 

This lightens her up. "Impressive. If he could do that to my date, I would probably pay him." she looks back to where the Suerton and the man are still discussing something at length. They don't seem to take notice of her departure. 

"Been together long?"

She shakes her head. "Only a few weeks. He's especially... inattentive when he's in business mode." 

"They don't really excel in multi-tasking, do they?"

"Not at all. I don't see things lasting long, but might as well enjoy the last few nights in this hotel." 

"That's the spirit." you stand up with your drink. "I should probably get back to my husband before he eats my breakfast. What was your name?" 

"Arden." 

"Well, Arden, maybe I'll run into you at the bar again depending on how well our men behave. Otherwise have a wonderful rest of your week." 

You leave her, finally returning to your table. Obi-Wan's gaze is laser-focused on you as you approach.

"You didn't consult me about that," he said as you sit down, his words not matching the smile on his face and his affectionate touch as he places his hand over yours. 

"You forget we are in my territory now, not yours." 

"I'm still your handler."

You lace your fingers with his, picking up his hand and placing a soft kiss on the back of his hand. His breath hitches as your lips come in contact with your skin, his edgy demeanor immediately melting. You can feel the raw energy exuding from him. You caught him off guard for sure. 

"You're still an ass. I made friends with the woman. Her name is Arden." 

You give Obi-Wan his hand back and start working on finishing your plate. He's watching you intently. 

"So you only stormed off to make a contact?" 

"Do you really want to talk about this right now?" 

"If I said something to offend you, I do apologize." 

You stop eating once again, taking a deep breath. "You didn't offend me per se... It's just... It's hard to work for the Republic when the Republic has done nothing of the slavery in the galaxy. I just... I feel caught in the middle. Part of me will always still be Jabba's servant."

"I see. I only meant that I hoped you didn't only see yourself that way." 

"I hold onto my past as a reminder to do something about it one day, not to hold me back. And I wasn't angry with you, I just took the opportunity to speak with Arden." 

"Right, well you can fill me in on that on our way to the room." 

You and Obi-Wan go back to the room. He speaks with the council while you stand out on the balcony, watching the ocean. The midday heat is blazing hot, but you don't mind it. Padmé's dress is light and breezy, keeping you cool in the warm weather. 

The door behind you opens and Obi-Wan steps out. Surprisingly, he places one hand on your waist and the other on the railing of the balcony, enclosing you against his chest and placing his chin near your shoulder. 

"I sent a recon droid to track the movements of our dealer." 

"And?" 

"I take it your friend may have had some suspicions of you. We're being watched." 

Your stomach drops but you maintain your composure. You twist around to face him, placing your hands behind his neck. He adjusts so both of his hands rest on your waist. 

"What do we do?" 

"I thought this was your territory." 

"You're not going to like my answer, Kenobi." 

"Try me." 

"If they're watching us then they may be checking to see if we are who we say we are. Which means we have to play up the newlywed act." 

He sighs, rolling his head back and around. "You're right, I don't like your answer."

"People like this are paranoid but money-hungry. We just have to be moderately convincing and they will take it at face value, especially if we don't threaten their buy." 

"Okay... fine. How do we do this?" 

"Pretend to seduce me to come back inside and then shut the blinds. They will assume the rest." 

"Why do _I_ have to seduce you?" 

"Kenobi I swear to--"

"Fine." he huffs, tugging gently on your waist to pull you closer. "Come on in, now." 

You turn in his arms so your back is to him, a mischievous smile on your face. "You don't know what you're doing at all, do you?" you chuckle. 

He steps closer to you, your back now flush against his chest and his hand snaking around so it's flat against your stomach. His fingers ever so slightly grab at the fabric of your dress. Your breath hitches as you feel his other hand trace your body from your waist, up around your shoulder blade and to your neck. He sweeps your hair out of the way, pushing it over the opposite shoulder and leaning down so his lips are just barely touching the skin behind your ear. Your chin tilts up reflexively and you draw in a breath of surprise.

"How is that?" 

You can't breathe let alone find the words to answer him. 

His fingers lazily run down your neck, catching on the strap of your dress so it slips off your shoulder. 

"Who the _hell_ taught you how to do this?" you say as you twist around in his tight grasp, reaching up and placing one hand on his cheek and one hand on his chest. He tilts his head into your touch and you trace the line where his beard meets his skin with your thumb. He reaches his hand up to cover yours on his chest. Like you did earlier in the restaurant, he picks up your hand and brings it to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to your skin. Shivers run down your arm and spine and you stare into his blue eyes, swearing they look a little darker right now. 

Without breaking the eye contact, he rests your hand back on his shoulder and reaches down. Suddenly he's cradling you bridal style in his arms. You wrap your arms around his neck, still completely engulfed in the energy between you and him. 

His gaze flicker from your eyes to lower on your face. You know what's going through his mind. 

As much as you want him to lose himself in this moment and just kiss you like you're craving him to, you can't let him. 

You lean forward, pressing a long kiss on one of his cheeks, then the other before hovering your lips above his. "Go inside," you say firmly, pressing your forehead to his. He obeys, practically kicking the door open and wasting no time in throwing you onto the bed. You lay on the mattress and watch as he closes the curtains, securing them tightly. The room is shroud in darkness now, which relieves you. If he could see the rate at which your chest is rising and falling on your chest, he might be concerned for your health. 

Every nerve in your body is on fire. Tension fills your every cell, longing for a release you will probably never get from your Jedi fake-husband. 

Even in the darkness, you can feel him looking at you. Do Jedi have night vision you don't know about? 

"I'm sorry," he says, his voice raspy and deeper than usual. He coughs in an attempt to clear his throat. 

"For what? I think you did a good job. Maybe too good. When did seduction get added to the Jedi curriculum?" You say quickly, desperately trying to insert humor to alleviate the intense tension still crackling through the air. 

He finally cracks, and an embarrassed laugh rings through the air. He turns on the light on the desk, illuminating the room dimly. Enough that you can see that he has this small smile on his lips.

You can also see that his beard is doing a bad job of hiding the deep red blush on his cheeks and neck, but you decide not to point that out. 

"It is strictly an extra credit skill." 

* * *

You can't stop thinking about the balcony. His hands on your body. His lips against your neck. 

Fuck. 

But the mission must go on. Obi-Wan informed you next on the agenda was to go to a cantina near the hotel for a happy hour. 

Unlike Obi-Wan, who must check-in and get reports multiple times a day to keep track of other missions going on, you only report to him. With more time on your hands, you decide to do a clothing change for the night. Plus, you've never really keen on wearing dresses. 

You decide on a pair of dark green loose pants that are wide-legged enough that they appear to be a floor-length skirt-- a good compromise. The top is a matching color with bell sleeves and fairly fitted but comfortable around your chest and abdomen. The V-neckline dips lower than you usually wear, but still modest enough that you feel comfortable. 

You've seen Padmé wear this with the pants tied lower on her hips to show off her toned abdomen. You try the look, immediately deciding to pull them higher on your waist and tugging at the edge of the shirt so your midriff just barely shows unless you raise your arms up. Maybe another day. 

You and Obi-Wan depart from the hotel room. It's a rather quiet stroll to the cantina, but not uncomfortably. In fact, it's nice to just walk arm-in-arm with him, gazing at all the lights. At night, Canto Bight lights up, life exuding from every window. The cantina is not like the ones you're used to either. It's clean and bright, more like a club than the usual dusty bars you've been to. It's not a big place, but it's bustling. A circular bar occupies the center of the room while standing tables are scattered outward from there. The wall is lined with booths, though those tables seem less crowded. Many people crowd the bar and the tables, unlike the empty brunch that morning. 

"I suspect the nightlife here is much more popular than the breakfast." 

"I think you're correct." Obi-Wan replies. Holding your hand tightly, he guides you through the crowd, somehow getting you a spot at the bar. You slide onto the barstool and he stands close behind you, a hand resting securely on the small of your back. You order for the both of you, paying out your tab and tipping the tender. "Do you see your friend?" 

You look along the bar, not seeing Arden or the others that accompanied her at breakfast. You pick up the drinks and turn around, scanning the crowd behind Obi-Wan. 

"Not yet." 

"Let's grab a table then." 

He guides you through the crowd to a booth close to the door. It's a half-circular shape so you slide in next to him, and he drapes his arm across the back of the seat, letting his hand fall lazily on your shoulder. You have a perfect view of the door and the bar. 

"I met you in a cantina like this." you chuckle, remembering the awkward encounter in which Obi-Wan figured out you were in the midst of a con and thus begun your game of cops and robbers. "Well... maybe not exactly like this."

"That cantina had a layer of grime covering every surface." 

"But the drinks were good." 

"Cheap, you mean."

"Same difference. You know I never really asked."

"About what?"

"Why you didn't get me arrested that night." 

Obi-Wan strokes his beard for a few long moments. Contemplating his answer. 

"I had my suspicions, but I gave you the benefit of the doubt. For some reason." 

"That was pretty dumb of you. You could have ended my life of crime right then and there." 

"You also would have been in jail instead of here right now." 

"That is very true." you look up at him, a cheesy smile on your face. "Thanks for not arresting me." 

He sighs into a smile, shaking his head slightly. "You're very welcome." 

That tension from earlier crackles between you again. You look away from him, shifting your concentration back to the cantina. 

Through the door comes a familiar brunette. Arden walks arm-in-arm with the man from earlier, but the Suerton is not with them. They pass by your table, Arden spotting you and giving you a small wave. Her date seems less than thrilled when she drags him over to the table. He's a strikingly handsome man with short jet black hair and tall stature.

"Arden! I thought we agreed to not run into each other again." you grin. 

"Well, this isn't the hotel bar, so I consider that a win." she looks at her date. "Diric, this is, uh-- kriff, I don't know if I ever got your name." 

You tell them your name and nudge Obi-Wan. "and this is my husband Ben." 

Diric finally gives the two of you a half-smile, breaking the icy exterior. "Nice to meet you." 

"He thought I made you up." Arden rolled her eyes. 

"I didn't say that, exactly." You notice Diric tighten his hold on her waist. She doesn't push it further. 

"Well, I am very much real." 

Diric whispers something in Arden's ear and then leaves without saying anything else. She stands there awkwardly. 

"He's, uh, going to get some drinks for us." 

"Care to join us?" Obi-Wan offers. Arden looks at Diric headed towards the bar. 

"You know what, sure." She sits next to you and you slide closer to Obi-Wan. His arm slides off the back of the chair to rest fully across your shoulders. "Sorry about him. he's... well, he's Diric." 

"No worries. There's no shame in being wary of strangers in the galaxy we live in." Obi-Wan says with his best diplomatic smile. 

Arden smiles at him, nodding softly. "How is your honeymoon so far?" she says, her eyes flickering between the two of you. 

"Wonderful so far." you gaze up at Obi-Wan, who is already looking down at you. A blush comes over your cheek as your brain migrates to thinking about earlier. You look away from him to find Arden looking upon the two of you with a look of longing. 

"I do wish I had someone to look at me in that way. I had high hopes for Diric, but..." speaking of Diric, he approaches with two drinks, handing one to Arden and standing next to the booth. He gives her an impatient look and she glares at him. "Can you not just sit and be social for a moment?" 

"We have," he glances at Obi-Wan and you before his pointed look returns to Arden. " _other_ engagements to attend to." 

"We have time for a drink." 

Surprisingly, Diric sighs and sits down next to Arden. His expression changes from annoyed to quite friendly in an instant, like you and Obi-Wan hadn't just witnessed their spat. "Apologies, my work can be very stressful at times." 

"That's why he brings me along. To keep him from winding himself so tight his head explodes." 

"What is it that you do, Diric?" Obi-Wan says as friendly and conversational as possible. 

"I'm in sales, primarily. Many different products, most of which are pretty mundane. And you?" 

"I'm in investments. Banking, that sort of thing." 

This piques the interest of Diric. His demeanor warms. 

"Really? So I should certainly be buying you a drink right now for keeping me in business." 

"If you're selling _mundane_ products I suspect our paths may not cross in that way," Obi-Wan says slyly, taking a sip of his drink. You internally revel at just how good he is at this. Considering his infamous nickname is The Negotiator, you suppose that shouldn't be too surprising. 

"Why, what did I say about talking business on this trip, dear?" you give him a faux warning glare. 

"I left it on the ship, I know, I know." 

Diric glances at Arden and then finishes off the rest of his drink, standing up. "Well, I wasn't kidding about that drink, Ben. How about it?"

Obi-Wan looks down at his nearly empty drink and gives Diric a chummy grin. "I'll come with you." 

The two get up and walk to the bar, chattering away and laughing. You shake your head at their departure. 

"I'm gonna kill him."

"Welcome to my world." Arden chuckles. 

"I met him through work, actually. So I shouldn't be surprised by this." 

"You're also a banker?" 

"Sort of. I worked for a rival of his. Definitely started things on the wrong foot but we found our way."

"Well, whatever happened, you undeniably love one another. It's sickeningly adorable." 

You smile, looking down at your lap. You don't have to fake your embarrassment to her statement.

The men return, toting fresh drinks. You catch the end of their conversation on Diric's last big deal. It seems Obi-Wan managed to draw out what he truly sells. He slides in next to you, returning his arm to slinging around you and pulling you into him. 

"I do wish we didn't have to leave so quickly," Diric says with genuine disappointment, but then his face lightens as he looks at Arden. "Unless... Gra wouldn't mind additional guests, would he?" 

"I'm sure he would appreciate the extra pockets to try to empty." 

"My associate is hosting a card game tonight. You're welcome to accompany us." 

"Oh, well," Obi-Wan runs his fingers through his hair. "I don't know about that. I'm flattered but--"

"Ben, we could just go for a little." you interrupt him, placing a hand on his knee. "I know you were disappointed by the casino not being open yet." 

He smiles at you, reaching out and brushing a wisp of hair from your forehead, his fingers grazing down your jawline. "You really wouldn't mind?" 

"I do repeat, for a _short_ time. But yes, why not." 

"Lovely," Diric says, standing once again. "I will go settle our tab and then we can get going." Arden also gets out of the booth, following Diric through the crowd to the bar. With them out of earshot, Obi-Wan squeezes your shoulder. 

"That was great," he whispers in your ear. "We must be careful though. These underground games can be dangerous." 

"It gets us an audience, though. We may finish this in a fourth of the expected time at this rate." 

"Whatever would we do with all that extra time?" 

"Get a good night's rest?" 

"I think you may be asking too much with that." he jokes, but you can feel the sad reality behind both of your statements.

Diric and Arden return and you leave the cantina with them, back out in the vibrant streets of Canto Bight.


	7. You Call me Reckless?

You learned to gamble at the age of fourteen. Still a servant at the time, you made friends with some of the older servants. On nights off they would gather in a room, pulling out cards and betting with crackers. You were always good at guessing when people were bluffing, as well as keeping track of cards. 

Now knowing of your sensitivities to the Force, you wonder if you were unconsciously using your abilities to sense the other players' nervousness. 

You should ask Obi-Wan at some point to teach you about the Force. You've been meaning to bring it up but have been debating what his reaction would be. After what happened on Tatooine, he still hasn't acknowledged the way you used the Force to keep Maul's saber out of his hands. For a while, you thought he didn't know about it, but Ahsoka let it slip that he was talking to Anakin how it surprised him how strong you are with no training. 

Maybe on the journey home, you will ask. It would be a better topic to unpack than the wildly ignored tension between the two of you that has come to fruition on this mission. 

"What are you thinking about?" Obi-Wan whispers, swinging your hand he's holding. 

"Nothing important. Just taking in the view." 

A beautiful one it is. The path they lead you on wraps around the city right along the cliff that overlooks the beach. Two moons shine brightly in the sky, casting streaks of light along the water. 

Diric and Arden lead you to a large residential house a few blocks from the hotel. The windows are lit up with bright lights and movement. Upon entering the house you're met with two armed guards in the foyer. 

They say something in Cantonican to Diric, and he replies in the same dialect. You recognize the language but are unable to speak it. Diric and the guards all look back at the you and Obi-Wan before carrying on their conversation. 

You try to gauge the tone. Diric seems calm and unbothered at least. The guards look skeptical, which makes you nervous. After a long minute of back and forth, they bow and let the four of you in. 

"Who's house did you say this was?" Obi-Wan asks Diric. 

"Gra Neb. Strange fellow but he does good business and throws a hell of a party." 

Arden nudges you in the side. "I recommend staying away from his table. Suertons are known for having luck on their side." 

"Noted." 

Up a grand staircase is a large room with a plush red carpet and dozens of tables scattered about. At each sits a dealer and a group of people playing a few different games. You spot Gra at a table in the center, a wide grin on his reptilian face and a posh full suit. The same Suerton you saw at brunch. 

"You play Pazaak?" Diric asks Obi-Wan. 

"I do," you speak up, earning a bit of an eye-roll from Diric and a raised eyebrow from Obi-Wan. 

"I continue to learn more about you every day." Obi-Wan chuckles. "Shall we then?" 

With Obi-Wan joining, Diric lightens up, guiding you to a table adjacent to Gra's. The three of you sit down and Arden stands behind Diric sipping on a flute of wine. You pull out a small sleeve of cards from your pocket. 

"What are those?" Obi-Wan asks. 

"My side deck." You say, pulling out the ten cards and shuffling through them. You're quite proud of your deck. After becoming notorious for beating all the servants in Pazaak, your reputation began spreading around the palace. You used the game to buy your way across the galaxy at times, in the process winning some excellent cards. 

"You truly are prepared." 

"I have extra, you can use mine." you offer him ten of your twenty-four cards and pull out ten for yourself. The dealer shuffles the cards and lays the deck in the middle. "Do you remember how to play?" 

"Hardly." 

"You can pick four cards from the side deck at random to be your hand for the round. Every player draws a card at the beginning to determine the starter. Then you are dealt cards and you want to be at or below twenty." 

You explain the game quickly as those at the table draw their cards. Diric ends up drawing an eight and is therefore first. He draws his card, his face neutral but you see the corner of his mouth twitch upwards. He draws another card and seems satisfied, standing. 

The game progresses. Obi-Wan manages to get the hang of the game but finds himself out after a few rounds. You, on the other hand, are doing quite well and winning a few rounds. By the end of the eighth, it is you, Diric, and one other Caskadag. You and Diric have both won two rounds and the Caskadag has won one. You only need one more to win. 

In the ninth round the Caskadag busts, exceeding twenty. He sits back from the table in frustration, leaving just you and Diric. 

A small crowd seems to have accumulated to watch this. 

"You surprise me," Diric says while the dealer is shuffling. 

"I did say I knew how to play." 

"I apologize for underestimating you." He looks past the dealer, his eyes darkening. You look over to see Gra approaching with a curious gaze. "Mr. Neb, sir, how are you tonight?" 

"Doing much better than you seem to be," Gra says to Diric before turning his attention to you. "You've been having a lucky night, have you?" 

"Yes sir, it has been an exciting game." 

"Mr. Diric is one of the finest Pazaak players I've come across. I hope you don't mind my audience for this round." 

You can feel Diric's stress as he draws the higher card and has to go first. He gets the first card from the dealer, laying down a 9. He ends his turn. You draw next, laying down a 10, earning a few whispers from the audience.

You have a choice to make here. You have a card in your side deck that would essentially end this game here and now. You would win and likely enrage Diric. You could also end your turn, and allow him to take the win. 

Whatever choice you make could be risky. You could win and gain the attention of Gra but lose Diric if he turns out to be a bad sport. Or you could lose and continue the pursuit of what Diric and Arden know. 

Stars, how you wish you could consult Obi-Wan on this. You try to think about what he would do in this situation. 

Probably play the route that would not put you in the spotlight of a potentially dangerous arms dealer. There are other ways to get information about him. 

You end your turn. Diric draws his next card, this time not hiding the smirk that crosses his face. He draws another nine. There is clapping from the audience at his score of nineteen. He lays down a card that adds one to his card, giving him a final score of nineteen.

"Well then, I do believe this has been a well-played game, my dear," Diric says, stretching his hands behind his head. His cockiness is starting to frustrate you. You give him a calm smile. 

"I haven't yet done my turn." 

"Don't blame me if I pray you don't pull a good one." 

You exhale deeply before reaching out and taking the next card off the top. You lay the card down on the table. Five. The crowd erupts in talking, some congratulating Diric. Before you can reconsider you hold up one of your side deck cards. 

The entire room goes absolutely silent. 

"A-- a Double Card?" Diric says in disbelief. 

"I do believe ten plus five doubled is twenty, is it not Diric?" you say as you lay down your side card. "I end my turn." 

You can see the gears turning in his head. The ten you had the last round and the fact you didn't use your double. How you still beat him. His anxiety turns to well-concealed rage as he takes his next turn for the low chance of drawing a one. He draws a two. 

Chatter erupts among the crowd, and you feel the slit eyes of Gra on you as you turn to look up at Obi-Wan who has been standing behind you. He leans down, planting a kiss on your hair. 

"Remind me to never play against you." he chuckles as you stand up. He wraps an arm around your waist. "You couldn't help yourself, could you?" 

You shake your head, and he lets out a deep breath. "Well, now we shall see what your winnings have bought us." You follow his gaze to Gra, who has made his way to stand before you. 

"The Double Card is very rare. Where did you get it?" he asks, eyeing your worn deck. 

"It was years ago. I was in a cantina on Nar Shaddaa. My opponent was not pleased." 

"I suspect not. You are friends of Diric?" 

"He invited us along, yes." Obi-Wan cuts in. You look over to where Diric is angrily speaking to Arden while she seems to be trying to calm him down. 

"I think he may be regretting that invitation right about now," you say

Gra chuckles, his jolly grin seemingly permanent on his reptilian features. "Diric has won for so long he forgets how to lose. What business are you in?"

"Investments," Obi-Wan says.

"I see," Gra strokes his chin. "I'm holding a presentation for my investors tomorrow. Top secret really, if you know what I mean." 

"I'm honored by the invitation, but my wife and I are not here on business for this trip." 

You look up at Obi-Wan, a little surprised that he would turn down this opportunity. It could be the weapon you're there to find. 

Gra also seems surprised. He folds his hands in front of him, looking at you. "You found the one good husband _and_ businessman in the galaxy, then, miss."

"I sure have." 

"What system did you say you hailed from?" 

"Raxus," Obi-Wan replies, citing the planet with the Separatist capital. Gra smiles. 

"Of course. Then I must further stress the value of my product. To be in on this deal would be to be part of the future." 

Obi-Wan snakes his arm around your shoulder. "I greatly appreciate the invitation, Mr. Neb. It's very tempting indeed." 

"Well," he reaches into his suit pocket and pulls out a card. "If you change your mind, this is the time and location. Either way, it was a pleasure to meet you and your wife," he glances over at Diric, who seems to have calmed down. "and watch Diric get dethroned, of course." 

You and Obi-Wan bow to Gra and he continues his movement through the crowd. 

"Time to go?" Obi-Wan whispers in your ear.

"Preferably yes." 

* * *

"To be fair, if Diric hadn't decided to be such an ass, I would have let him win the game," you say, defending yourself on the walk back from Obi-Wan's scolds. 

"He _was_ prematurely boasting quite a lot. If I weren't so damn proud of you I would probably be more annoyed of the spotlight you put us in."

"I got us a meeting with Gra, did I not?" 

Even with hardly anyone in the streets, Obi-Wan keeps you close, your hands intertwined and swinging softly. Like a real couple. You blame it on the second drink he had. Obi-Wan has the tolerance of a fourteen-year-old and has been noticeably loose ever since. 

"This is true. You did a fine job." 

"You're the one that somehow got Gra to still invite us even though you denied him twice. How did you know that would even work?" 

"I didn't." Obi-Wan smiles, and you jab him in the side. 

"You call _me_ reckless?" 

"It was a lucky guess I suppose."

"I do hope it was also educated." 

You get to the lobby of the hotel and step into the elevator. 

"I'm ready for bed," you say, wiping the drowsiness out of your eyes.

"Really? The night is young, though." he teases.

"You can go hit the bars if you are so inclined, _my dear_." 

"But how could I leave _my_ _darling_ alone on our honeymoon?" 

You shake your head at him, poking him in the stomach. "I must remember this low alcohol tolerance of yours for the future. You are so much more fun without a lightsaber stuck up your ass." 

He rolls his eyes. "That just sounds like you're trying to take advantage of me in my inebriated state." 

The elevator door opens to your floor and you step in front of him, twirling around to walk backward. "I would never do such a thing." 

He swings an arm around your shoulder, turning you back around and you walk down the hall to your room. He takes the key out of his pocket, opening the door, and you enter the room first. 

As soon as you fully cross the threshold, something in your head starts setting off warning signals. You stop, trying to hone in on what it is, but you can't quite put your finger on it. 

"Kenobi I--" you turn around, freezing when you see the door slam shut and Obi-Wan standing still, his hands up, and a blaster pointed at his temple. 

"Sorry to crash the honeymoon, but I have some questions," Arden says, her dark eyes staring you down as she grasps Obi-Wan's shoulder and nods her chin at you. "Sit down." 


	8. Take a Breath

You sit on the bed and Arden pushes Obi-Wan forward until she's standing well into the room.

"Now," she says, simultaneously jabbing something into Obi-Wan's neck. He winces silently before immediately slumping to the ground unconscious. Arden pulls away with a needle, its contents now injected into Obi-Wan. You nearly jump up in shock before remembering the blaster pointed right at you. "allow us to talk privately." 

"What was that?" 

"A sedative so we can have a moment for us girls." she puts the needle down and then looks at you, probably seeing the panic in your face. "It won't hurt him." 

"Why are you doing this?" 

She crosses her arms, leaning back against the desk. You notice she's changed from the gambling party. She's in dark pants and a long black tunic with a large hood cinched at the waist with a utility belt. Besides the blaster she has in her hand you notice a knife, a second blaster at her ankle.

"You're not who you say you are." 

"What are you talking about?" 

"Don't play dumb with me." she points her blaster at you once again. "What are you doing here?" 

Suddenly the pieces fall into place. You had assumed Gra was the one overseeing the plans of the weapon and Diric was one of the investors or a representative of a vital material for the manufacturing at the very least. Maybe that is still true, but Arden is not just the girlfriend. 

"Please, I'm just on my honeymoon. I don't understand what is going on." 

For a moment, her confidence falters. She lowers the blaster slightly, uncertainty in her expression. You take this moment to spring forward, kicking the blaster out of her hand. It sails across the room, crashing into the wall, but Arden is quick. You wrestle her to the ground but she manages to unholster her knife, jabbing at you at random. 

You try to remain calm, dodging her lashes. Remembering her other weapon, you reach down at her ankle, grabbing her second blaster and pointing it at her head. 

"Drop the knife, now," you order and she freezes. You tighten your grip on the trigger. The knife clatters to the ground. "Now, why don't you enlighten me of who you _think_ I am, because I am tired of this game."

Arden looks frustrated, but she lays her head down in defeat. You remain sitting on her legs to pin her down. 

"Diric and Gra may be fools, but I'm not. This sale is meant to be a private one, and it will remain so." 

"My husband denied the invitation to the presentation. We aren't here for whatever you're talking about." 

"Somehow I don't believe that." 

You stand up, keeping the blaster aimed at her and picking up the knife she abandoned on your way up. You tuck it into your pocket. 

"Believe what you will." 

Her eyes narrow as she watches you walk over and press two fingers to Obi-Wan's neck. A strong heartbeat pulsates underneath your fingertip. You breathe a sigh of relief. 

"You're trained," she says as-a-matter-of-factly. 

"We live in a time of war." 

"A banker's wife from Raxus, though? You don't stumble upon that lifestyle, you're born into it."

"You don't know a thing about me." 

She lifts herself to a sitting position, her dark eyes watching you in an unsettling way. You can feel her seeming to look right through you and you don't like it. You need to remain calm, though. Figure out what to do next. You can't kill her. She's unarmed. You could try to get her arrested, but that may jeopardize the mission. 

No, your best bet is to keep her here and wait for Obi-Wan to wake up. 

But what if reinforcements show up? You're a good fighter, but not that skilled. 

"I think I'm learning more by the second," she says, a sly smile creeping across her face. "You're not a banker's wife, are you?" 

"Enough with this." 

"No, you're not his wife at all." She looks over at Obi-Wan, slumped on the floor. "But you're in love with him, aren't you?" 

"Are you going to continue this ridiculous--"

"I can see it in your face. If you're wondering, he looks at you the same way." 

You step towards her, holding the blaster tighter. "This is not going to help your case." 

"Oh but it's such fun, isn't it? Let me guess... you work for the Republic? Trying to figure out what the big bad Separatists are plotting?" 

It takes everything in you for your face to remain neutral. You force a small smirk. "You really like telling such wild stories, don't you?" 

"If information is all you're after, I can give you that." her eyes are sparkling dangerously. "You must think Gra is the one that holds the plans, right? You would be incorrect in that assumption." 

"What are you talking about." 

"Oh do I have your attention now? Are you ready to make a deal?" 

"What is your deal?" 

"Blaster down first." You lower the blaster, keeping your eyes on her. "Excellent. Now, my deal is I will tell you what I know about the weapon. You will leave this place and let the transaction go down tomorrow as planned." 

"Why should I trust you?" 

She shrugs. "You shouldn't. But I pledge no loyalties to either side. The fate of the weapon makes no difference to me as long as I get paid." 

You contemplate her deal. It would be what you need to at least get a head start against the separatists. The issue of the validity of the information is what is bothering you. 

"Do you have concrete information-- blueprints, designs, something?" 

"You're clever. If I show you the plans will you take the deal?" 

"I agree to your terms." 

She stands up, holding out her hand. "My knife then." You raise an eyebrow. "The handle holds the data stick." 

You take the knife out from your pocket and untwist the handle. From the hollowed out hilt comes a small data stick. You walk over to the desk where Obi-Wan's holo-computer sits. You plug the data stick into the computer and press a few buttons. A hologram pops up of crude drawings of a spherical device. 

"Is it a bomb?" You ask, examining the blueprints. 

"I'm not quite sure. Though, the dimensions listed would make it as large as a small moon." 

You look at Arden, taking a deep breath and centering yourself. "Is this all that you know?" 

She looks you in the eye. "I'm just a middle-man. What I do know is these plans are crude."

You sense her honesty. You turn the hologram off and hand her back the data stick. "Leave us then. We will depart as soon as Ben recovers. We won't come to the meeting with Gra." 

Arden nods, stashing the stick in her pocket. "I trust you'll uphold the terms." 

She walks to the door, exiting without looking back. Once the door locks you let out a sigh of relief. You drop to your knees next to Obi-Wan, rolling him from his face-down position to laying in your lap. It takes all your strength to hoist him up onto the bed. 

You sit down at the holo-computer and begin writing a detailed report. 

You're nearly done when you hear Obi-Wan gasp and jump from the bed, immediately stumbling. You're quick to jump up and wrap your arms around him, stabilizing him and sitting him back down. 

"What has happened? Are you alright? Where did she go?" He looks you up and down, searching for injuries but you press your hands against his cheeks, forcing him to look at your face. 

"Obi-Wan, take a breath." 

"Arden was here. She drugged me." 

'Yes, and now she's gone." 

He searches your face. "Did you..."

"I didn't kill her, no." 

"Well, what happened?" 

You explain to him what went down. The back and forth, the deal. You leave out the part where she claims you and Obi-Wan are in love with one another. That's something to unpack another day. 

"You saw the plans then?"

A smile, walking over to his holo-computer. "I have something better." You turn it on, revealing the plans. "I copied them to your computer. They're crude plans, but they are something." 

He stands, studying the hologram intently. "I must send these to the council at once. What language is this written in." 

"Geonosian, I believe." 

Obi-Wan's face darkens at hearing the language. "Of course. I shall transmit these then." 

"We can do that on the ship." 

"The ship?" 

"Part of the deal was leaving as soon as you recovered. I intend to keep my word." 

He looks at you with his head cocked slightly sideways and his fingers smoothing his beard. Like he's studying you. "Very well." he finally agrees. "Let's pack our things." 

* * *

"Excellent work Master Kenobi," A hologram of Mace Windu says on the ship. Once off Cantonica Obi-Wan transmitted the plans to the council and told them of the success of the mission. 

"I can't take the credit on this one, Master." he looks over at you. "She handled all of the negotiations on this one." 

You look down at the ground to hide your reddened cheeks. Obi-Wan finishes his call just as you get the ship into hyperspace and put it on auto. You get up from the co-pilot seat and start heading back to the quarters. 

"Going to lie down?" 

"Unlike you, I haven't slept in over a day." 

"I don't know if I would call being rendered unconscious taking a nap." he jokes, standing from the pilot chair to stretch. His blue eyes scan across your face. "You deserve the rest, though. I'll watch over things up here." 

You give him a small smile and head back into the quarters. You practically collapse into the bed, lying flat on your back. 

You hadn't realized your adrenaline has been coursing through you nearly all day. The come-down has been brutal, bringing an ache to your head and leaving your entire body sore. With the exhaustion also comes the sudden realization of _everything_. In a single day, you went from brunch to getting fake-seduced to winning a card game to being held at blaster point. You hadn't even begun to process the whirlwind of emotions that you've suppressed through it all. You hold up your hand, your fake wedding band glittering in the low light. 

It truly is beautiful. The design is modest but intricately designed to hold a different type of value.

"It was my mother's." a deep voice startles you. You look up to see Obi-Wan standing in the doorway, his gaze also on your ring. On his own ring finger, he fiddles with the matching set, twisting it around and around. "They were given to me after their death." 

"I'm sorry," you say, your voice thick and hoarse. You sit up, hanging your legs over the side of the bed.

Obi-Wan enters the room, crouching in front of you. He looks concerned, his eyebrows knit together and mouth in a frown. He gently reaches forward, the pad of his thumb wiping moisture from your cheek. You reach up and feel multiple streaks of tears running down your cheeks and chin. You hadn't even realized you were crying. 

"What is it?" 

Where do you even begin? Hell, you don't even know why you're crying besides being exhausted and overwhelmed and going through a massive adrenaline dump. 

You open your mouth, but no words come out. Nothing but a soft gasp. You close your mouth and try again. Nothing. He finally shakes his head and opens his arms up. Your vision blurs as the tears you've been holding back begin to flow once again and you fall forward into his tight embrace. Obi-Wan adjusts so he's on the bed and you're practically sitting in his lap crying into his shoulder. You clutch him, balling the fabric of his tunic in your fists. He pulls you closer to him, his fingers running through your hair and rubbing up and down your back. 

He holds you as your sobs turn to breathless gasps and dry, itchy eyes. He continues to rub circles on your shoulder as drowsiness forces your eyelids closed before you can process that you're falling asleep.

Your world tilts, and you expect the warmth of his embrace to leave you. 

But it doesn't. 


	9. I Wish it Were That Simple

You awake with a pounding headache. You're alone in the pilot quarters yet when you place your hand down on the spot next to you, it's warm to the touch. 

You take a quick trip to the fresher to clean up before heading back to the cockpit. Obi-Wan's all-too-familiar voice fills your ears as he carries on a quiet conversation. Assumingly with the council.

Your breakdown flashes through your memory. Obi-Wan holding you while you fell asleep. His hands running up and down your back and his fingers in your hair. 

_"Are you feeling better?"_ he asked once you stopped crying and were just sniffling softly, losing yourself in the warmth of another person so close to you. You don't remember when you'd moved, but you were lying down, your head resting on his chest and his arms hugging you close to him. 

_"I... needed to get that out I suppose."_

_"It's been a long day for you."_

You could feel the tension in his body.

_"Is something bothering you as well?"_

_"Nothing I can't sort out with some meditation."_

_"As the queen of suppressing things, I can tell you sometimes you just need to say it."_

_"Or sob it, in your case."_

You and Obi-Wan could never stay serious for long. You have a love-hate relationship with that aspect of your interactions.

 _"Look what you've done. You were sweet until that comment. Now I just want to hit you."_ you reach up and push his chin with your fingertips softly. 

It was quiet for a while. You just listened to the sound of his breathing and the steady thrumming of his heartbeat. You were approaching drowsiness when he finally speaks again. 

_"The last thing I saw before Arden knocked me out was your face. You were afraid."_

_"I thought she was injecting poison into you."_

_"I've never seen you look afraid before,"_ he whispers, his arms pulling you a little tighter. _"Surprised maybe. Caught off guard. Never afraid though."_

_"There was nothing you could do."_

_"That's the worst part of it. I woke up and the first thing I thought of was the look you gave me before I blacked out. I needed to find you immediately."_

His words brought butterflies to your stomach but they also dug a pit. While every part of you was waiting for him to admit the feelings you believed him to be harboring for you--ones that you reciprocated-- you also hoped he would never admit them. Him telling you this means he is hearing himself say that he has grown to feel attached to you in some way. 

That can only mean he will either accept his feelings or force himself to break them off. 

_"Obi-Wan,"_ you looked up at him and started speaking without really knowing what to say next. You just looked at each other in the dim light, letting the tension between you fester. Your heart was pounding and you were absolutely sure he could feel and hear it. 

_"I know,"_ he said softly, swallowing hard. _"Get some rest, now."_

He started raking his fingers through your hair, speeding up the process of your drowsiness. As you drifted off you felt him shift slightly and the feeling of his breath on your hair. Half-asleep, his lips pressed to your forehead, lingering in place. You slowly opened your eyes, meeting his own in the strange limbo between the conscious and unconscious world. Your hand cradled his cheek for a moment before you ran your fingers slowly down his jawline, raking through his beard. 

Your pinky caught on his lower lip for a moment and you swore you heard his breath hitch. 

For so long you just looked at one another. There was a war going on in his mind and you could see the blaster fire behind his eyes. He wouldn't let go, and you weren't going to make that decision for him. You just lay there, painfully aware of the exact distance between your lips until your eyelids grew too heavy to remain open and you fell asleep with your head tucked into his neck. 

You replay the night before so many times in your head before entering the cockpit. You linger by the door, listening to the sound of Master Yoda and Obi-Wan discussing something quietly over the holo-phone.

You slip into the co-pilot's seat quietly as the hologram of Master Yoda disappears. Obi-Wan looks at you, his jaw set but eyes soft. 

"Did you get the rest you needed?" 

"I did, thank you." 

The tension between you is back, but it's different this time. It's... diplomatic almost.

You're not dense. It pains you, but you know what's going on.

It was a moment of weakness for both of you. You've come to understand the expectations the Jedi Order places on its members... as well as the expectations Obi-Wan puts on himself.

He shouldn't have stayed with you. Blast it, you should have told him to go. Instead, both you ignored the line that was right in front of you, pretending to be surprised when you had to step back over it and face the reality of the situation. 

"The council called?" 

"They were checking in. We'll be coming out of hyperspace soon." 

"Good. Do you want to take a rest?" 

He glances at you. There's guilt behind his eyes and he's letting you see it. 

"Thank you, but I've gotten the rest I need." 

That thick silence again. You hate this. 

It hangs in the air for the remainder of the ride. As the ship re-enters the Coruscant atmosphere you feel even more suffocated. You aren't ready to be back here. You want to be on Canto Bight, in a hotel room with one bed and Obi-Wan's arm wrapped around your shoulder. You want to have an awkward conversation about what the hell is going on between the two of you. 

The ship lands on the docking bay near the Jedi Temple. As he turns the ship off he pauses, turning to you and catching your gaze. 

"You're stressed," He says softly. 

"So are you," you reply. You can feel anxiety radiating off him in the same way he probably can feel yours. A smile tugs at his lips, but quickly disappears. 

"You did great on this mission. It was wonderful to get to see you in action." 

He stands, placing a hand on your shoulder. When he removes it, you can't hold it back anymore. 

"Why are you saying goodbye, Obi-Wan?" He stops walking. 

"I'm not." 

"But you are." You stand up. He's still facing the door, his head bowed. "Look at me, dammit." He turns around, his face forcibly stoic yet--per usual-- his eyes give him away. You take a step towards him. He's sad, the slightest of moisture welling up in the corners of his eyes. Guarded, unlikely he will let them leave the solitude of his tear ducts, but they're there. He watches you examine him, your own conflict crossing your face unrestricted. Annoyance, frustration. Sadness to match his own. He doesn't need to speak. You know what he would be saying and they're not words you feel like hearing come from his mouth at the moment. "You're going away, aren't you?" 

You're not sure how you know, but you do. 

He nods. 

You mirror him. 

"It's for the best," you say. The strength in your voice surprises you.

"Do you believe that?" he asks, his voice barely above a whisper. 

You didn't notice before but he's changed from the blue robes back into his earth-toned ones. His saber is clipped at his waist. Gone is Ben Kenobi the investment banker, and frankly you're relieved of that. Jedi Master Obi-Wan stands before you now, the same one you ran into battle for, but this one has a golden embellishment around his ring finger. It tells you the things Obi-Wan the Jedi Knight can't. 

"I don't. And neither do you." He draws in a breath. Control. That calmness they have trained him to maintain. "I take it Master Yoda does, though." 

Another breath. His heart rate remains even. Or maybe that's yours, pounding in your ears. 

"I'm afraid." 

"Of what?" 

"Must I say it? I know you know." 

You hold his stare. "I want to hear it. I... need to hear it." 

He licks his lips. "I'm afraid of losing you."

"And that's the problem, isn't it?" 

He nods. "Fear is a path to the dark side." 

"You're far too stubborn to ever turn on the dark side." 

You step forward. He mirrors you. 

"I'd like to think so." 

You reach up and place a hand on his cheek. He hesitates, remaining stiff for a moment, but then he tilts into your touch. Your mind flashes to the balcony. His eyes flickering to your lips. The way your heart felt as though it would beat out of your chest. 

His eyes remain glued to yours like he's afraid to let them wander. Like he'll lose the control he's built up to this point. 

"Obi-Wan," you say softly, rubbing your thumb from the high point of his cheekbone down his cheek. "I do believe you should fear more for losing yourself than losing me based on the number of times I've saved your sorry ass this year." 

"That's funny, I do believe I've swooped in for your rescue just as many times." 

"Then by the math, neither of us should fear for the other."

"I wish it were that simple." 

"It is. And it has to be." you step away from him. "We both know this." 

"Master?" Anakin's voice echoes from the entrance of the ship. Your moment is being cut short. You look down at your hand, slowly slipping the ring off your finger. You hold it out to him in your open palm. 

He stares at it for a moment before slipping his own wedding band off.

You drop the ring into his hand, but he quickly catches your recoiling hand in both of his. 

Footsteps coming through the ship. You look into his eyes, memorizing the different shades of blue that comprise that lovely hue. Obi-Wan releases your hand just as Anakin comes around the corner. 

"There you are." he looks between you and his master, obviously sensing the tension from the quick rise of his eyebrows, but he thankfully doesn't say anything. 

"Sorry Anakin, we were just finishing up the system checks." 

"Master Yoda is waiting for you in the council chambers." 

"Of course. Will you help her unpack the ship while I go see him." 

"Yes, Master." 

Obi-Wan turns, Anakin chatting him up as he disappears into the back of the ship. You feel frozen in place, haunted by the implications of what just occurred. 

Slowly you bring your closed fist up. One finger at a time you open your hand to reveal two wedding bands resting in your palm. 


	10. This Was Unplanned Trouble

Months turn to a year.

You are reassigned to a new handler. You know it's only temporary, but it doesn't feel as such. Matese is a reserved man. Of course, that shouldn't be surprising from a career spy. Still, you miss the comradery of the Jedi and the clones. Republic Intelligence just isn't the same. 

You set your mind to the work though. It makes the time pass quicker. 

Every morning when you're not on a mission you pass by the Jedi Temple. You always look up at the landing pad to see if Obi-Wan or Anakin's ships are there. Of course, they never are. 

"You're going to like this one," Matese says as soon as you enter the briefing room. 

"Really? I told you last time I wouldn't wear one of those silly skimpy--" 

"No, I mean you're actually going to like this one."

"We'll see. Where?" 

"Escarte." A hologram pops up on the computer of a Bith male. "Thal K'sar is your target. We received intelligence that the commerce guild is gathering evidence to execute him. You need to find him and set up a controlled extraction." 

"Alright, but what part am I meant to favor?" 

"I believe the Outer Rim Sieges are being conducted by an infamous duo of Jedi. You will be reporting your findings to them." 

Your stomach flutters. You try but you can't hide the smile that crosses your lips. 

"I will never understand why you like working with the Jedi." Matese rolls his eyes. "They're a strange bunch." 

"Effective in battle, though."

"Well yes, I won't deny that. Still doesn't mean their powers or whatever don't freak me out." 

You smile softly. You wonder how Matese would react to the knowledge that you've been spending time in the Jedi Temple library. You've managed to teach yourself a few skills with the Force. Nothing too complex, but you have built up a fairly decent Force push if you're focused enough. 

"You get used to their... strange ways." 

"I guess. Krennic is sending me on assignment too, so I will be transferring your central line of communication back to General Kenobi." 

"Lucky for you to not have to cover me every other mission."

Matese smiles. A rarity on his usually deadpan face. "You're a good agent. Less of a pain in the ass than you seem to believe." 

"Very good to know."

You're ordered to depart as soon as possible. You grab your go-bag from your home and go to the Senate building where you're scheduled to take a ship. You pass the temple, pausing to look up at the platform. You don't know why you do it, knowing full well that Obi-Wan and Anakin are somewhere deep in the Outer Rim, but it's a habit now. Your hand touches the small bump on your chest where two golden rings hang securely on a chain around your neck. You keep them tucked in or hidden in a locked compartment of your ship. Safe. Just as looking at the temple has become a habit so has been checking on the rings.

You get the ship, start up the controls and take off. Coruscant slowly becomes smaller as you fly out of the atmosphere and into the darkness of space. 

* * *

Escarte is nothing more than an asteroid belt. A Separatist mining facility with little to no cover. You decide to stop first on Quermia, the closest inhabitable planet along the trade route you've been following. You make that your home base, renting a room and beginning your plan. You will fly out near Escarte and take some scans of the area. With a better idea of the area, you can then figure out how to locate K'sar. 

The traffic through Quermia is plentiful and enough other species pass through on the trade junctions that you fade into the background. This is preferable. 

After a good rest, you get in your ship and head out off the end of the designated trade route. You've never been this far away from civilization, let alone so deep into space. Your maps are practically blank with the lack of information known about the edge of the Outer Rim.

A few more parsecs and you would be out of the Colundra sector and into wild space. A part of you looks out into the darkness and wonders what would happen if you just kept flying. Away from the war. The people who want you dead.

But also those who love you. And that's what keeps you. 

Escarte comes into view almost suddenly. The random specklings of small asteroids suddenly turn into a massive field. At the center lies a giant rock that might as well be the size of a small planet. It's treated as so with multiple buildings built atop the structure. 

You begin taking scans of the area to give yourself a more current map. It takes a bit of time and you find yourself looking down at the communication device on the ship. Long ago you would take this time to contact Obi-Wan to check-in. If he wasn't busy he would sit there and keep you company for a while. Matese was a good handler, but not quite as conversational. 

You're tempted to call him. You haven't checked in with him at all, and you probably should have before coming out here so he knows your position. 

Your fingers run over the rings. You want to, but a part of you is afraid of actually hearing his voice on the other end. 

A button on your console begins to blink rapidly. An incoming message. You accept it.

"You have entered restricted space. Identify yourself." A droid's voice says. 

Shit. You're well hidden and Matese assured you as long as you don't land you are safe. You take a quick moment to think, and then press the microphone to send a return message. 

"I'm so sorry," you fake the voice of a young woman in distress. "I put the coordinates into my navicomputer incorrectly and overshot my jump. I'm just trying to figure out how to get back on course." 

"Prepare to be boarded." A human voice replies this time and you feel your stomach drop.

Okay, this isn't ideal, but you can make this work. The likelihood they will take you prisoner s high, but it will get you on Escarte faster. 

You quickly open up a new transmission and stand in front of the holo camera. Taking a deep breath, you put on your best neutral face.

"General Kenobi," you say, his name feeling foreign on your tongue. "Pleasure to be working with you again. I have been dispatched to track down Thal K'sar. Unfortunately, our intel was outdated, and my ship is being boarded in the asteroid field outside the Escarte mine. I'm afraid I will likely be captured, so I need you to listen very carefully..."

* * *

Your ship is boarded by a group of heavily armed battle droids. You have no identification so they take you, towing your ship closer to the massive asteroid. As you cross to the other side of the rock you realize that they aren't, in fact, taking you to the mine, but a space station situated on the opposite side. 

This wasn't in the plans. 

"Move, prisoner." the battle droid shoves the bud of its blaster between your shoulder blades, pushing you from the shuttle they took you in. You walk down the ramp and are met by another group of battle droids. At the center of them stands a Separatist officer, his arms folded across his chest. 

"Who are you?"

"This is all a big mistake. I was just passing through and my navigation had an error."

"How did you find this place?" 

"I don't even know where here is! Please, let me contact my family back on Lianna." 

"Lianna?" The officer steps closer to you, his eyebrows narrowing. "That's quite a navigational error." 

"Well, I was aiming for Quermia."

"Still. Droids, take her to lockup until we can verify her identity." 

"No, please!" you plea as the droids push you forward and the officer departs. 

Perfect. 

Your plan is in action. Maybe a bit quicker than you expected, but you trust that Kenobi is keeping an eye on your status. 

The droids lead you down into the cell blocks. You pay attention to the various prisoners sitting behind bars. As soon as you see a Bith male you trip, falling to the ground with a dramatic thud. The droids nearly stumble over you in surprise. 

"Are you alright?" one of them asks, their high pitched monotone voice ringing out. The Bith stands to see what the commotion is about.

"Yes, I just lost my balance." You say, slowly pulling yourself to a kneeling position. As you do, you pull a small device from your belt and press the on button. 

The droids are immediately stunned with an electric pulse. They collapse to the ground. You work quickly, attaching a device into the back of the neck of one of the droids, downloading its data. Once it has the information you quickly get up. You walk over to the Bith's cell, ignoring the yells from other prisoners. 

"Are you Thal K'sar?" you ask. He seems surprised but he nods. "Amazing. I'm getting you out of here." 

"Who are you?" he asks as you use one of the droid's blasters to destroy the locking mechanism of his door. 

"The person saving you from being executed. Questions later." 

Just as expected, an alarm begins to blare through the cell block and the entire area is encompassed by a dark red light. You pick up your handheld and map out a route to a landing pad. You can see tiny blips of the locations of the droid battalion that has been dispatched to deal with you. You find there's a relatively untraveled path they haven't enclosed on. You take a few of the droid's blasters you nod to Thal. "Stay close and follow me." 

You and Thal begin running through the halls. You check your map every so often for the locations of the droids. So far you're doing well. As you turn a corner you run into a problem and suddenly realize why the route wasn't being guarded-- a dead end. 

_How is that possible?_. You zoom in on the map and realize a tiny line of pixels separating the corridor from connecting to the next. You curse to yourself, the red blinking lights growing closer. 

Thal seems to sense your panic. "Ducts," he says quietly, pointing to a grate on the ceiling. You point the blaster and shoot through it. It clatters to the floor. The ceiling is fairly high but doable. You hold out your hands and he steps on your palms as you hoist him to the ceiling. Just as he grabs onto the sides of the duct the clattering of droid footsteps comes pounding around the corner. 

"They're coming!" 

You glare at the hesitating Bith. "Then pull yourself up!" 

"How will you get up?" 

"Don't worry about me, just get out of the way, dammit." He swings his legs, trying to pull himself up. 

You take a deep breath, calming your pounding heart rate and pointing your blaster towards the oncoming parade of droids. 

As soon as you see one you start shooting madly, hoping to hold them back. Of course, one against twenty is no fair fight, and they start rounding the corner, their blasters starting to rain down on you. You manage to avoid them as they're still fairly far away from you.

Now to test out the skills you've been working on. You throw the blaster aside, closing your eyes and feeling the calm of the Force surround you. With a pressing motion of your hands, you push outward hearing a chorus of yells and the sweet sound of metal crashing into metal. As you open your eyes the blasters have stopped and the entire group of battle droids is in a heap, disoriented. 

You look up at Thal who is staring at you in disbelief.

"Pull me up," you order him and he quickly extends his arm down for you to take. Once in the air duct, you start crawling ahead to the other corridor. 

"Are you a Jedi?" he asks. He seems afraid of his own question.

"I am not."

"Then how did you--"

"Escape now, questions later. We're already running late." 

At the next grate, you check your handheld. The battle droids seem to be caught up in the last hallway. The Separatist forces not expecting you to be here has certainly worked out in your favor, but your luck will soon run out if you can't get to the platform in time. You drop down through the grate and Thal follows close behind. The hanger should be close ahead and with any luck, Obi-Wan and Anakin will be waiting. 

Of course, nothing is that easy. 

You round the corner and the hanger is indeed there. As you and Thal run into the open area you panic a little at its emptiness. 

_He will come._ You tell yourself. 

"We must get into position." 

"For what?" 

You hand Thal a blaster. "For battle." 

You situate yourself behind a shipping container in the far section of the hanger. Watching the computer, you know they're headed there next. 

"You're with the Republic, are you not?" Thal asks. You give him a look and he shakes his head. "I'm no fool. Reinforcements aren't here and I'm no good with a blaster. The odds aren't in our favor. 

"I am with the Republic. Is that a problem?" 

"The Guild is trying to kill me to cover up their foolishness. I do not give a damn about Republic or Confederacy at this point."

"Why are they trying to kill you?" 

"I made a mistake"

Footsteps echo through the multiple entry points to the hanger. Within moments you will be overwhelmed and outgunned. There is no sign of Obi-Wan. Maybe he didn't get your transmission in time. Maybe you're alone out here and you acted too hastily. 

"Must have been one hell of a mistake." 

"I am just sorry it will now take two lives instead of one." 

You look at him, sensing genuine regret and fear in his voice. 

"I will get you out of here," you say, holding up your blaster. "I haven't failed a mission yet and I'm not about to start now." 

Blasts jet out from the hallways. The rolling of destroyers and the synchronized steps of the battle droids now sound right on top of you. You take a deep breath, pulling out the rings from your shirt and squeezing them in your fist. 

"They're behind the containers!" You hear a droid call out, and the oncoming steps prevail. Glancing over the side the first wave of droids has fully entered the hanger. You look at Thal and press a button on your handheld. 

The entire place goes up in flames. 

The charges take out the first wave, but they only slow down the remaining droids that weren't blown away. Without too much trouble destroyer droids coming barreling through the calamity and begin firing on your position. Thal proves that he is indeed an artisan and not a soldier when he cowers on the ground, covering his head with his hands. You just return fire as best you can, avoiding their shots. It's no use though. Their deflector shields are up and your blaster is no match. 

You're on your fourth back-up plan at this point. Stepping back you begin throwing the few charges you have left. They go off with an ear-shattering boom but for a few moments, the blaster fire halts in recovery. When you throw the charge at the destroyers they have to retreat, their shields turning off. 

You have one charge left and three destroyers before you. They're closing in and you will have to come out of cover to get a good angle. You look down at Thal. 

"When the reinforcements arrive, you go with them regardless of where I am, do you understand?" 

He nods. You take a deep breath, letting a sense of calm come over you. The Force is with you. 

Everything around you seems to be quiet despite your ability to see the blaster fire flying through the air and the droid running around the hanger. You concentrate on the quiet as you step out from the container, throwing the last charge at the destroyers. Like usual, they begin to retreat and as they do you pull out two blasters and shoot at their unguarded bodies. Three shots ring out and with your eyes closing slowly as a blast hits you in the shoulder you watch the three remaining destroyers burst into flames. 

Then the charges go off, and the droids that had run up on your position are blown backward. You are blown in the opposite direction, your body flailing through the air like a rag doll. Despite knowing you must be physically flying at a rapid speed, you feel aware of your surroundings like time has slowed. Slow enough that you see a ship quickly fly into the hanger, its guns mowing down the droids still standing. 

As you hit the ground you see the ramp open and a flash of blue. Your body rolls across the floor, the time finally catching up so you're spinning so fast you can hardly make out the figure clad in earth tones robes running towards you. 

Of course, you don't need many details to know who the bearded man is. 

You come to a stop when you slam into the wall. Your body slumps to the side and a very sideways Obi-Wan kneels next to you. 

"You're late." You say, pushing through the metallic taste in your mouth. 

"Blame Anakin, he was driving." Obi-Wan offers you a hand and you take it with your good arm. Up again, you let the adrenaline take away the pain and run over to Thal who is still hiding. 

"Time to go." You say, grabbing his forearm and running with him towards Obi-Wan and Anakin's ship with Obi-Wan covering you from the blasts with his lightsaber. As soon as you and Thal get on Obi-Wan runs to the cockpit, stating the ship up. Anakin runs in after, shutting the ramp. 

You sit with Thal in the cargo bay as the ship jolts, weaving through the asteroid belt. Black dots dance in front of your vision but you try to push them away. There's the occasional rattling of the ship as it's hit by a blast or something, but soon enough you feel the path smooth out as the ship enters the safety of hyperspace. 

"You're injured," Thal says, pointing to the multiple areas of your clothing that are beginning to turn red. 

"And you look like hell." another voice chimes in. Obi-Wan walks out of the cockpit and into the main cargo area.

"Just what a girl likes to hear."

"Come, let's stitch you up." You get up and follow Obi-Wan to a small part of the ship with a cot and a medical bay. He shuts the door behind you as you sit on the cot. "You can't help but get yourself into trouble, can you?" 

"This was unplanned trouble. I _thought_ I was being cautious." 

He pulls out a handful of bacta patches, eyeing you skeptically. 

"At least you weren't _trying_ to give me a heart attack then. I uh.." His eyes flicker to yours. "...believe you will have to remove your shirt so I can clean the wounds." 

You loosen the belt around your hips and start pulling the shirt up from the bottom. As you reach a point where your injuries bring you to a painful stopping point Obi-Wan puts a soft hand on your bicep and grabs the edges of your shirt with his own hand. He carefully lifts it over your head, trying not to disturb the array of cuts covering your body. 

You're left in your undergarments and your pants. He places your shirt aside, keeping his gaze strictly on your tattered shirt or his own hands as he prepares the cleansing solution. 

"You know, I expected our grand reunion to have significantly less blaster fire." 

"Really?" he smiles a tiny bit, his blue eyes meeting yours. "I'm not surprised at all, though I'm disappointed I was correct in my assumptions." 

He finishes preparing the solution, crouches down to your eye level, and finally takes a look at your mostly bare abdomen. As his gaze rakes down your body from your chin towards your stomach you see him stop and stare. Following his gaze, you realize he's staring at the wedding bands hanging from a chain around your neck. He slowly reaches out, his fingers lightly tracing along the smooth edges of the band. 

"I kept them safe." 

"I see that." 

His gaze shifts from the rings to your face. You lock eyes. The patterns of his irises haven't changed in the months since you saw him last. The colors are still aligned in the spots you remembered them. Flecks of darker and lighter blues like fireworks coming out of his pupils. Besides his dark circles looking more severe, it's the same face you kept folded in your memory.

"They reminded me of you. Made me feel safe." 

"I wish I could have _been there_ to make you feel safe."

"We had our duties. And look, they brought us back."

"It may not be for long." 

"I don't care." You swallow that truth hard. You know this is temporary, but you'll take it. 

He opens his mouth to speak but then just lets out a shaky breath. It's not often you see Obi-Wan in any other state than either calm and collected or in battle focus mode. You can read his face like a book and a feel every little emotion that's plaguing him as it happens. The best part is you can absolutely tell he is still holding his control over this. He is fully aware of the openness he is displaying and his awareness is what is making your heart warm. He's trusting you. 

"I... I thought about you. Every day. Before and after every battle."

His eyes flicker down and then back up again. 

"Not during?" you say, your nervousness seeping through in the form of humor during an intense moment. Obi-Wan's intense somberness shifts to a small smile and those twinkling eyes that you adore. 

"Darling, if I were to think of you in the middle of battle I would not be standing here right now."

"You're right, Jedi are shit at multitasking I hear." 

You're so close you can feel his breath. 

His smile grows. "I resent that view." His lips part to draw in a breath and before you can process anything he's closed the distance between you. He kisses you softly at first. Testing the waters. You kiss him back almost immediately, bringing your arms loosely around his neck. He breaks the kiss for a second, looking into your eyes before you return the kiss. 

This time he really kisses you. His hands fall to your waist and the feeling of his skin against yours sends chills up your spine. Stars, you had forgotten you were shirtless. You part your legs, wrapping your legs around his hips so he can be drawn closer to you in his kneeling position. His tongue swipes along your lips and the kiss between you deepens. 

Obi-Wan doesn't forget to take care of you though. He's gentle, not going anywhere near the major cuts and injuries on your body. Not that you can even feel any them with the number of endorphins coursing through your body. Kissing Obi-Wan is better than any pain medication he could have given you and is likely four times as addicting. 

He breaks the kiss, his breathing sped up and pupils dilated. He looks awe-struck, his swollen lips parted as he just looks at you. 

"Oh, I'm in trouble, now." he finally says, his voice deep and raspy. He clears his throat, stepping back from you as you drop your legs from behind his back. His words worry you for a moment but you watch his face, the smile that can't leave his lips and the small shaking of his head at himself. 

"I mean if Anakin can get away with being married to a senator..." 

Obi-Wan stops, giving you a strange look. "How the hell do you know about that?" 

You point to your face. "Spy."

"Right."

"How do you know?" 

"He's not quite as sneaky as I believe he thinks he is." 

"So you saw them together?"

"Padmé may have left her office door open one day." 

"I see. Like I was saying: if Anakin and Padmé are flying below the radar, I'm sure we can keep one kiss a secret." 

He raises an eyebrow. "One kiss?" 

You cross your arms carefully over your chest, though, with all your injuries it looked more like your arms were tangled awkwardly. "This is me giving you an out."

He blinks in surprise. "What do you mean?" 

"Obi-Wan, I'm not the one that swore to an ancient code. You are," you reach out and take his hand. "a Jedi. I can't make a decision on how you will proceed from here. I can make it easier if you need it to be, though. Give you the chance to think about it..."

He just looks at you in disbelief for a moment before leaning in and pressing his lips to yours once again. Every time he kisses you it's like all the tension that has been accumulating between you gets released just a little bit. You could spend the rest of your life relieving that tension. He pulls away, pressing a soft peck to your lips once again. 

"I've had over a year to think about this." He kisses your right cheek. "Frankly, I'm quite done considering it when I've known what I wanted for..." He kisses your left cheek. "over a year now." 

"Really?" 

"Really." He steps back again, grabbing the cloth to actually wash your wounds. You wince slightly as he gets to work on the blaster wound on your shoulder, concentrating on his words. "I can't leave the order while this war wages on, though. I need to see this through." He keeps glancing up to your face, gauging your reactions. 

This condition doesn't surprise you though. You also want to see this war to its conclusion.

"So for now, we take things slowly. Keep it a secret and continue our duties." 

"When it ends though, I won't continue with secrets. The council can decide to let me stay or make me go but either way, it will be what fate has intended." He places a bacta patch on your shoulder. "I've lost too many to this war to lose you as well." 


	11. She's Much More Pleasant to Look at

For the time Obi-Wan spent with you in the med bay, it was like everything had changed. There was something tangible between you and the Jedi that had finally been discussed and the relief in the both of you was evident. You'd never seen him smile for such a long time without it turning to a smirk. 

He left you to check on Anakin and allow you time to rest. Alone, the high remained. You slip on a spare tunic and pants that Obi-Wan left you. They're big on you, but they'll do until you can buy yourself a new set or clean and sew your tattered ones. You try to lay down and rest but your mind is buzzing and sleep is far from occurring. You decide to go bother the boys and catch up with Anakin. 

When you enter the cockpit, you immediately are met with reality. 

The men sit in the pilots' chairs chatting quietly. When you enter, they both turn to say hello.

"Look who it is," Anakin greets you with a warm smile. "Cut it a little close there." 

"We got the job done and no one's dead, I don't wanna hear it." 

You glance at Obi-Wan. His eyes are looking at you like before but his face is subdued again. He's holding back and you shouldn't be surprised but you do feel a tinge of disappointment. The whiplash of his behaviors depending on who is in the room will take some getting used to. Controlling your own urges will also take a bit of practice and discipline. 

"You thought quick on your feet, well done." Obi-Wan commends you. 

"I've picked up a few things hanging around Jedi for most of my espionage career." 

"And before being a spy as well," Anakin glances at his former master. 

"I was only evading Jedi then. I don't think Kenobi was too keen on grabbing a drink." you chuckle. 

"You didn't _evade_ me, I let you go." 

"If you let her go," Anakin prods, that mischievous smirk on his face. "then why did I have to hear you rant about it so often?" 

"The truth comes out." 

"That's it, I'm dropping you off on the next inhabited planet, Anakin. I can't have the both of you on the same ship apparently or I'll be driven to madness."

"Why do I have to be the one abandoned?" 

Obi-Wan glances at you, flashing a small smile. "She's much more pleasant to look at than your grimy mug." he says as he reaches over and smudges his thumb against Anakin's cheek. 

"Hey!" 

He pulls his hand away and shows him the splotch of dirt that came away on his finger. Dust residue from the battle. "I can handle the ship if you would like to go clean up." 

Anakin rolls his eyes but stands up. "Don't crash the ship while I'm gone." 

"I wouldn't dare take your job from you." 

Anakin disappears into the back of the ship and Obi-Wan's attention turns back to you. 

"Feel better?" 

"Nothing like being mummified in bacta patches and a pair of clean clothes." 

He chuckles. "The ideal state." 

"I never did thank you for coming through for me. You saved my mission from being much worse." 

He reaches back, taking your hand in his. "That's what we're here for."

"Do you think Anakin--"

"I'm not sure. He has, uh, teased me about you for quite some time actually." 

Your stomach flutters. "Oh really?" 

"He's persistent, I'll give him that." 

"And correct it seems." you laugh, squeezing his hand. Obi-Wan just shakes his head. He raises your hand to his lips and kisses it softly. 

"I suppose. Never tell him that, though, you won't ever hear the end of it." He releases your hand and you draw it back into your lap. The feeling of his lips on your hand is still palpable and you suppress the urge to get up and continue what was started back in the medical bay. 

You sit with Obi-Wan for a while, just chatting about the missions he's been on since having to leave you behind. He says it in a nonchalant tone, but the gravity of his experiences puts a pit in your stomach. The things he's seen. The battles he's fought in. He's been kidnapped, beaten, tortured, and faced death in numerous horrifying ways yet he recites the events of the past year like he's explaining the plot of a movie. 

_He was trained for this though._ You tell yourself as you retire for the night with the reappearance of Anakin straight from the fresher. _He knows how to handle himself._

* * *

You only sleep for a short time before waking up in a cold sweat. Your nightmares have been bad for some time now, and have been getting worse. You decide to go check on Obi-Wan and Anakin and see if they need a break. 

You only find Obi-Wan in the cockpit, his head resting heavily against his arm.

"Hello, darling. I thought you went to bed," he says without having to turn around.

"Bad dream," you say, leaning back on the arm of his chair. He places his hand on the small of your back, rubbing his thumb up and down the dip of your spine soothingly. "Thought I'd check on you. Where'd Anakin run off to?" 

"To get some rest. He was practically falling asleep after you left," he says, a conveniently timed yawn punctuating his sentence. You scan over his face, the dark circles under his eyes ever noticeable. Not only that, but his eyes are droopy and his voice is lower and slower than usual. The man looks utterly exhausted. 

"When was the last time you slept?" 

He takes a moment. You brush a strand of hair off his forehead and widen your stare to indicate you're expecting his honest answer. He sighs. 

"Seventy hours ago, I believe." 

You nearly choke at his answer. "Obi-Wan, you _need_ to go to sleep." 

"Well, now I'm monitoring the ship so I really can't until Anakin gets back." 

"I'll go wake him--"

"No," he grabs your wrist softly. "He needs the rest as well." 

"Fine," you slip out of Obi-Wan's grasp and sit down in the pilot's seat. You do a quick check of the hyperspace route and all the levels. 

"What are you doing?" 

"I'm checking on our progress. Monitoring the ship." 

He sighs. "That isn't necess--"

"Kenobi you can sleep in your bed or sleep in that chair, but either way you are closing your eyes and shutting up until we reach Coruscant." 

He looks at you for a long moment, but the drowsiness in his eyes betrays him. He finally stands, stepping over to your chair. He leans down, pressing a soft kiss to the top of your head. You take the opportunity to grab the back of his neck and pull him down, stealing a kiss from his lips. He smiles into your gesture, cradling your cheek in his hand before you release him. 

"Thank you," he says, pressing his forehead against yours before walking out of the cockpit. 

So maybe he isn't coping with the horrors of war with the grace you think he is. Maybe he is not doing very good after all.

* * *

You forget how mentally tolling it is to simply sit in the cockpit and monitor that the ship doesn't randomly decide to run into a star. The computer does the work, but the difficult part is staying awake with nothing to do. At a certain point, your mind just begins to run wild.

Of course, you think of Obi-Wan. 

You've struggled with sleeplessness for some time since becoming a spy. Since becoming a slave if you're being honest. Your nightmares awake you often and instead of going back to sleep you evade them out of fear. You know the pictures in your head aren't real yet you can't help but feel safer with your eyes open. Maybe that makes you a hypocrite-- ordering Obi-Wan to bed when you yourself were up and about to avoid your own rest.

You like to think of it as doing as you say, not as you do. You know sleep is important, but your willingness to follow that tip does not matter as much as making sure those you care about do. Plus, he was technically awake far longer than you, so his health took precedent.

As the hours pass your thoughts still remain on Obi-Wan but in a different way. Doubt seeps into your mind as quickly as the willingness to accept the vulnerability of admitting your feelings. You dove headfirst into this with no thought of how things would change. Kenobi obviously would be forced to look, speak, and treat you as just a co-worker at most. He will always be restrained by his duties to the Republic and to the Order. You're an independent woman yet you can't shake the insecurity that creeps under your skin the more you think about it. You've seen Anakin flirt his way through missions with full knowledge of his affair with Padmé. Obi-Wan also has that charisma to him.

Anakin had to have learned it from somewhere after all.

Sure, it's for the good of the mission, but for so long you were just another mission to him. A street criminal that got in his way. His charm was evident from the beginning, only to be supplemented with his kind heart and physical attractiveness. It's damn easy to fall in love with the man and despite the reassurance he gives you, it scares you. 

Obi-Wan will never be only yours. Part of him will always lie with the Jedi and the mission. The reasonable side of you understands this but there is still that part of yourself that keeps that fact on the edge of a sharp needle in your head. It prods at your mind every so often as a reminder of its existence. 

It's annoying. You would love to terminate it. It makes you feel guilty for even thinking about it. 

Footsteps approach and you clear your mind. You can never be too careful on a ship full of Jedi. 

"Hey Obi-Wan, sorry I think I over-- oh." Anakin pads into the cockpit a few hours later surprised to find you lounging in the pilot's seat instead of Obi-Wan. 

"He's sleeping," you say. Anakin looks impressed. He sits down in the other seat, doing his own checks of the progress. 

"He doesn't do that often."

You're surprised by the candidness of his response. The knight is notorious for his emotional responses, but you've always found him to be shielded. Sure, he is open in his wit and the things that tip the scale of his frustrations, but he is not usually one to blurt out concerns of his master. 

"Are you worried about that?" 

Anakin stops his checks to look at you. Conflict is evident in his expression. "Obi-Wan has been an insomniac for as long as I can remember."

"But?" 

"But... it's been much worse lately."

"When did it start?" 

He exhales heavily, his eyes trained ahead instead of looking at you. You can feel his hesitation, but you can also sense the tension building in him.

Sometimes you're sure they forget you're 1) Force-sensitive and 2) not blind.

"After the Canto Bight mission," he glances at you. "I read the report, you know." 

"I'm sure you did." you stay guarded, knowing what he's angling at. "Was it a good read?" 

"Riveting. Didn't take you as the gambling type." 

"That's half the hustle, young Skywalker." 

"How did you learn to play?" 

You consider what must be in your file. Does he know your past? You know of him. You were on Tatooine during his youth. You heard of the young human boy that won the pod-race, only to disappear off the face of the planet. His name was brought up frequently around the Hutt palace for a short while.

"The servants in Jabba's palace taught me." You answer honestly. The tension in Anakin's shoulders grow. His fingers curl into a fist and then release. 

"You were..."

"A slave." you finish his sentence, locking eyes with him. "On Tatooine, yes." 

You can't read his expression, but neutrality is one you know well. When you meet one that experienced the same horrors you have, there is no room for discussion of it. You just know what has occurred and you allow that bond to be made. After a long moment of silence, you collectively move past it.

"Obi-Wan felt guilty." 

"He was unconscious, there was nothing he could do." 

"The man has two modes: strict and rigid rationality and infuriatingly stubborn irrationality." 

You chuckle at the accuracy of his statement. "So I've observed." 

"He monitored your missions while we were away, you know," Anakin smirks slightly. "I found him looking through your case files a few times." 

You can feel your cheeks grow warm. "He _is_ my handler after all. It's his job. He probably checked up on you when you were apart as well." 

"Maybe." 

" _Maybe,"_ you mock Anakin's snarky tone. An idea pops into your head. A dangerous one, but Anakin has you on the defensive and you feel like you can mess with him innocently enough. "Speaking of checking up on people have you spoken to Senator Amidala recently?" 

You swear the young man nearly chokes at your words. He looks at you, his eyes searching your face for your intention but you put on your best poker face for this one. "Uh, not in some time. Why... do you ask?" 

You shrug nonchalantly. "I still have some of her clothes from the Canto Bight mission she loaned me. I've been busy and kept forgetting to contact her. I know you and Obi-Wan served her a few times so you might have seen her." 

He relaxes a little. You hide your smirk.

"Well if I see her before you do I'll mention it." 

"I do appreciate it."

Silence finally falls between you as you find yourself at a draw. You're certain Anakin is suspicious of you and Obi-Wan now, but after name dropping Padmé you feel he will keep his feelings to himself for now. At least you can hope.

"Coming out of hyperspace," Anakin says, pushing a dial as the ship slows. The blurred flashes of lights fade into clarity as the ship pops out with Coruscant dead ahead. The familiar lights of the city are a relief from the desolate inhabitants of the edge of the Outer Rim. You never thought you'd be so happy to see the overpopulated planet. 

"I'll wake Kenobi. Have a unit ready to transfer Thal K'sar to the holding area," you say, standing and stretching your sore legs from sitting for hours. Anakin raises an eyebrow but doesn't say anything as you depart from the cockpit. You walk down the tight corridor to the captain quarters, opening the door. The hallway lighting casts a dim ray into the room, landing on what looks to be the feet of Obi-Wan in the bunk on the far end. His breath remains even, a soft snore escaping his lips every few moments, making you smile remembering your threat to him on your mission together.

You pad across the room until you're standing before his sleeping figure. Sitting on the edge of the bed where his body curls in, you place a hand softly on his arm. You hate to wake him up when he's so obviously in need of this sleep, but he can't stay on the ship just to nap, unfortunately. 

'Obi-Wan," you say softly. He stirs slightly. "Obi-Wan, we're landing soon." 

His eyes flutter open, taking in your figure in the dark. A deep groan escapes his lips as he pulls the blanket over him further up to his neck. You chuckle, stroking your hand up and down his arm. 

"You can go back to bed when you go home. We must transfer the witness now." 

He groans again, but this time pushes his body into a sitting position. The light now shines in his face, illuminating his bright blue eyes and casting a wild shadow on the wall behind him from the contours of his bed head. "I feel like I've only slept for mere minutes." 

"Good, that means you will sleep like a baby once you get back to bed. Now let's get up before Skywalker comes looking for us." 

You stand and he pushes himself out of the bunk, running his hands through his tangled hair and smoothing his beard as he gets up. You straighten out his robes that have become wrinkled and loose, trying to ignore the feeling of his eyes watching your every move. You don't have time to act on the way he is looking at you like you want to. 

You and Obi-Wan come out of the quarters to find Anakin finishing the landing sequence. You locate Thal asleep in the general quarters, waking him up and prepping him for the transport team. You explain to him that the Republic is looking for information and it is in his best interest to cooperate. Just as you're finishing your speech the doors open and a squad of clones enter the ship. 

Anakin comes out of the cockpit, handing the orders to the captain. They take K'sar, leaving you, Obi-Wan, and Anakin in the hangar. 

"Well," Anakin looks between the two of you. "The council scheduled our debriefing for tomorrow morning so I will be getting some rest." 

"A splendid idea." Obi-Wan yawns. "I will finish the transfer paperwork and do the same." 

You see relief cross Anakin's features. The two men bid goodbye and you notice he does not walk in the direction of the Jedi temple where his quarters are-- but into the city in the general direction of the Senate. 

You hang back with Obi-Wan, leaning against the side of the ship. 

"You should also get some rest," he says without taking his eyes off the holo booth. "You look like you're about to drop." 

"I could say the same for you."

You look up at the darkening sky, indicating the end of the day. The lights begin to switch on around the city, giving the bustling planet quite a beautiful glow for such an urban setting. The heaviness of your eyelids reminds you of the many hours you've been awake. You're ready for a good rest. 

"Then I bid you a good night, General Kenobi. I suppose I will see you at the debriefing in the morning." 

He finally looks up at you, his eyes shifting from the evening sky and back to you. His eyebrow raises. "Actually, if you would like, I can escort you home at this hour." 

"It's not far from here," you say with a sly smile. He closes out the holo and crosses his arms. 

"I must insist. You can't be too careful in the city at night." 

"Well then," you turn to leave and he walks next to you, matching your step. "I won't argue that point."

You walk off the landing pad and into the city. Your quarters are next to the Senate building where the Republic Intelligence is primarily based. It doesn't take long to arrive. Obi-Wan walks with you to your front door, where you unlock and open the door. 

"Thank you for the escort. May I offer you a refreshment before your... journey home?" 

"That would be lovely." 

You both enter your home and you go to the kitchen to pour two glasses of water. Your apartment is a small studio, only containing a kitchen area and your bedroom items. Obi-Wan hesitantly sits on the edge of your bed as you walk back over with the water. 

"Thank you, darling." 

You take a seat next to him, watching as he downs nearly the entire thing in one go and places the glass on the ground. His eyes are droopy, closing for a few long moments at a time before he forces them back open. Even the hours of sleep he got on the ship have not aided the dark circles under his eyes. With only one look at him, you shake your head. 

"You're a mess," you say as you brush a tuft of his hair out of his face. "You need to sleep." 

"I'm well aware," he says, his voice low and drowsy. You snake your arm around his back and he leans into you, his head resting on your shoulder and his arm settling around your waist. His warmth around you makes you tired with him in the low light of your apartment.

"Stay," you whisper, pressing your lips against the top of his head. "Sleep here." 

"I don't want to intrude..."

"Obi-Wan." you hush him, pushing yourself backward on the bed. You pull him with you so as you lay on your back he settles with his head on your chest and his arms wrapped securely around you. He lets out a large breath of relief, situating his body into a comfortable position that doesn't place too much weight on you but still holds you close to him. You run your fingers through his hair, raking your hands up and down his neck and shoulders. 

Within minutes his breath evens out into periodic blasts of warm air onto your neck. 

You are close behind him. 


	12. Fear is Fear in the End

You awake engulfed in warmth. The morning light shines through the small window of your room, its rays settling right in your eyes. You grumble, attempting to roll over but your movement is restricted by a pair of arms wrapped tightly around your waist and your back pressed into the chest of your handler. You close your eyes again, reveling in the feeling of his even breaths against your cheek and the tickle of his beard against your neck. You are completely flush against him from head to toe and you regret the knowledge that your debriefing approaches in a few hours. 

Stars, you want to lay here forever. 

Your movement stirs him awake as his sucks in a breath, releasing it slowly as his fingers splay out across your stomach and his legs stretch straight. 

"What time is it?" he says in a low, raspy morning voice. 

"Two hours until debriefing." 

"That's a damn shame."

"We could call in sick," you suggest, reaching your hand up to ruffle his hair. He responds by burying his face in your neck. 

"That would about as suspicious as me showing up with a lipstick stain on my cheek." 

You chuckle at the mental image of Obi-Wan walking into a council meeting looking as tidy and professional as he usually does but with a splotch of lipstick smeared across one of his cheeks. The reactions would likely be priceless. 

"Have you at least recovered from your bout of insomnia?" 

"That was likely the best sleep I've had in months." 

"I have to agree." you grin, untangling yourself from him so you can lay on your back and look at the groggy Jedi. His hair is in disarray and he's still wearing his robes, but you swear the morning light shining on his face is the most beautiful sight you've seen in a while. You're so close to him you can see the flecks of green and yellow between the ribbons of blue in his mesmerizing eyes. "You're certainly invited to join me whenever you like." 

He props his head upon his hand, his other hand trailing up your arm, crossing your shoulders and grazing along your jawline. His eyes drop down to your lips, and in a swift motion, he leans in and presses a tender kiss to your lips. It's the kind of kiss where you just close your eyes and let everything around you dissolve. There's no urgency or even the insinuation of things progressing further its just a warmth that spreads down to your toes. You lose yourself in the feeling of his hair getting tangled in your fingers and how he smiles against your lips when you knock noses or hear someone yelling particularly loud outside about the neighborhood kids going too fast on their speeders. Even when it ends you're just trapped in this limbo where you forget where you are for a moment-- you forget the war and the meeting and everything else that has been so central to your life. It's like an out of body experience. You're laying on your bed in your tiny apartment with the man that has made your heart pound just a little quicker every time he looked at you for the past year. 

It was a reality you never imagined to be more than a silly scenario you would play in your head while you were trying to sleep. It was like maybe if you imagined the feeling of his arms around you vividly enough, you would feel as though he was there watching over you and fall asleep faster.

Reality is very much preferable to your imagination, though. Galaxies better. 

Of course, you can't stay here all day. There's work to be done, an ongoing war, and the night the two of you shared must be filed away for the time being. You know the moment of bliss is over when you become painfully aware of the ache in your muscles and the pounding headache from the activities of your mission. Obi-Wan likely feels it too, your kiss turning more into him resting his head on your shoulder and producing an exacerbated sigh.

"I think I understand why Anakin is so angsty all the time, now?" 

"Because he's still practically a teenager?" 

"No... well, yes. I was talking more about having to stand in front of the council and pretend Padmé is only a friend." 

You stroke his hair, smoothing out the pieces sticking up. "Why is it such a big deal anyway?" 

"Attachments lead to fear of losing them. Fear leads to the dark side in the eyes of the Jedi Order." 

"That sounds lonely." 

You feel him nod against your chest. "I used to live by that Code word for word. I had the thing memorized, and truly believed that if I followed it in every way I would be a great and powerful Jedi." 

"Did that belief change?" 

"Well, I'm laying here with you, so you could say that," he chuckles. "It's quite backward actually. I spent a good part of my youth fearing what my life would be like if I failed to become a Jedi. Hell, I nearly wasn't if it weren't for Qui Gon taking me as his padawan at the last minute. So I pushed away anything I thought would get in my way of being a Jedi. And yet-- how is the fear of my own future different than the fear losing those I love? Fear is fear in the end." 

"It's a natural thing." 

"And I know how to compartmentalize it on a mission or in battle. The very concept of having to take on a padawan and watch them grow and work alongside you is the very definition of forming a bond and having to learn to work through the personal feelings that may arise in precarious situations. We are literally trained to be selfless and put the common good ahead of our own personal biases, yet making unsanctioned connections with those other than your padawans and masters are forbidden." 

"You've thought about this a lot, haven't you?" 

Obi-Wan inhales deeply and breathes out slowly. The comfortable quiet blankets between you. "This war has opened my eyes in many ways. I have found there can be a balance in places that gray areas were not thought to be possible. I intend on finding that balance." 

You finally manage to pull yourselves out of bed to get ready to go to your debriefing. Obi-Wan leaves to change his clothing and freshen up, kissing you one last time before heading out the door. As you shower and get ready you can't get the tangent he went on out of your head. For once, you know exactly where his head is at and it's immensely comforting. 

You still find yourself nervous at what would happen if the council finds out before the end of the war. What the repercussions would be. Obi-Wan himself is on the council, working closely with the most perceptive Jedi in the galaxy. Can he really hide this, especially with you working so closely with him? 

Can you? 

* * *

The debrief is lengthy and you had a lot of explaining to do, but you get through it. Afterward, Obi-Wan and Anakin had to report to the council so you leave the senate building alone to enjoy your brief leave until you are contacted with your next mission. 

Sitting in your apartment feels strange. You always had another mission to be reading up on as soon as the last ended. This was the first time you weren't given an assignment. You feel like you should be doing something, but in truth, there's nothing you could be doing. You don't remember the last time you had an afternoon to your own devices. What are you even supposed to do?

You sit down on the edge of your bed and gaze out the window at the midday traffic on the busy planet. You never really saw this side of Coruscant living twenty levels down. For the longest time, you didn't really care about the dark hole you resided in. It was a roof over your head and that's all that mattered.

Then you experienced what it was like to look outside and see daylight and people. It made a bigger difference than you expected. 

There's a knock at your door. 

"That was quick," you say aloud, expecting Obi-Wan when you open the door. 

It's not.

You feel your body freeze in place, pressure building at your throat as the red-faced Zabrak pushed his way into your apartment, closing the door behind him. 

"M-Ma-ul." you choke, his face twisting into a sinister smirk. 

"Miss me?" 

"Wha-tar-ya-ya." 

"I can't hold a conversation in this way," he sighs, and you drop to the ground, sucking in a painful breath while grabbing for your comlink and blaster near the door. "Really now?" he says, waving his arm, sending you flying across the room and crashing unceremoniously into the wall. You fall down--onto your bed, thankfully-- rolling over and getting back on your feet into a defensive position. 

"What are you doing here?" 

Maul's demeanor is calm and collected as he pulls a chair from your table and sits down on it. You notice he's thinner, his cheeks more hallowed and his arms less bulky. "I'm here to chat." 

"Why?" 

"What, two old friends can't have a civil conversation?" 

You lower your hands, your defenses still up but he seems docile at the moment. "You tried to _kill me_ the last time I saw you." 

"And you broke my wrist and threw my lightsaber down a very deep cavern. I do believe we're even." 

You roll your eyes. "Just... what do you want?" 

"I'm surprised you have to ask." 

In the back of your head, his last words to Obi-Wan echo in your brain. Obi-Wan telling him in his ever-so-confident and teasing tone, ' _I_ _believe it's your move'._

 _'Not yet. But soon._ ' he replied before jumping over the ledge. 

Not yet. But soon. 

It has to be about Obi-Wan. 

"You had the chance to kill him on Mandalore. Why didn't you take it?" 

The man looks at you dangerously, his smirk fading into a deep frown. "So he told you?" 

One of the stories Obi-Wan had told you on the way back from Escarte was of his confrontation with Maul and Savage on Mandalore... and having to watch his boyhood love be killed before his eyes. You won't ever forget the look on his face when he recounted it. The relief in his voice to be talking about it out loud but the pain in his eyes as he was obviously reliving it in his mind.

"If this is about Kenobi, then I don't know why you're here." 

His smirk returns. "I didn't take you for the type to play dumb." 

Maybe he saw Obi-Wan come home with you. Or saw him leave. Either way, you're in trouble. 

"I didn't take you for the type to go after defenseless women instead of facing the man you despise head-on, but I suppose fear _is_ the path to the dark side. You certainly are the poster child for that fact." 

His anger spikes and you feel a tightness in your chest as he holds himself back from crushing your ribcage with the Force. Comforting.

"Kenobi seems to have a thing for insufferable women who don't know how to hold their tongues," he says through his teeth, standing up from the chair. You go back on guard, distancing yourself from the man. "At least it makes it easy to figure out who I can use against him." 

"So what? You kill me? Reuse your last move?" 

"Oh no, I'm not going to kill you," he steps closer and you feel your back hit the wall. "Now, sleep."


	13. I'll Be Back

You wake up violently, sucking in a sharp breath and eyes wide. Your heart pounds in your chest as you register your surroundings. Your room is dark as nighttime has taken over the city. Your hands run up your arms and down your body, checking for injuries, but... you're fine? 

Maul was here. He was definitely here. 

Wasn't he?

You feel like you're going crazy. Maybe it was all just a dream. A horribly vivid dream. It had to be if you're still here. 

You reach up to brush a strand of hair off your forehead, but what you touch is not hair. It's cold and hard to the touch. You jump up off the bed, running into your fresher and looking in the mirror. 

Strapped across your forehead is a dark gray metal headband that frames your hairline. The middle of it forms a point with two blue stones set into the material while the edges loop out, tying behind your head with a leather band. You slowly remove it, running your fingers along the finely formed lines and the smooth jewels. It's like...

The realization dawns on you. You slowly walk back into the main room, looking at your blaster and com laying haphazardly on the floor near the door, your bed still made, and your kitchen chair pulled out and seated nearly in the center of the room. 

The headpiece slips from your hand and clatters to the ground. You just stare at it, no in the least bit worried about it breaking from the fall. 

The Mandalorians take pride in their metal alloys. Enough to use it to craft crowns for their rulers in honor of the people's tradition. 

Your stomach feels like it's in your throat as you pad over to where your comlink lays on the ground. You pick it up, holding it in your open palm. The pitter-patter of rain starts hitting your window. Thunder rumbles in the distance. You need to tell him about Maul. 

Fuck it. 

You shrug on your cloak and grab the crown, carefully slipping it into your pocket. Clipping your blaster at your hip and your com to your cuff you leave your apartment, stepping out into the rainstorm. You hail a hovercab. The cabbie seems surprised when you tell him to take you to the Jedi Temple but he doesn't ask questions. 

Lightning flashes across the sky as you run up the steps to the Temple. You're met by guards who seem less than concerned for you standing out in the downpour, dripping wet. 

"I must see Master Kenobi immediately," you say to the faceless sentinels. 

"It is late, ma'am." 

"It's urgent," You pull out the hologram with your credentials, displaying the Republic Intelligence seal. "Please."

Your footsteps and the occasional drop of water off your heavy cloak echo through the Temple. You hope you don't disturb any of the other Jedi that may be sleeping right now. Or run into them. You can't imagine showing up in the middle of the night at the Jedi Temple is a good way of convincing the council that you and Obi-Wan aren't involved, but to hell with that for now. 

You reach his door, knocking quietly at first. You wait a moment, listening for movement, but hear nothing. You raise your hand to knock more forcefully this time when the door slides open and a very sleepy Obi-Wan stands in the doorway of his dark room... in just a pair of night pants and his cloak that he seems to have thrown on to modestly mask his bare chest. 

You must say, his Jedi robes are not doing him justice. Your eyes scan over the limited view of his toned abs and chest, and you hold in the desire to reach out and run your fingers along the perfectly chiseled lines of his muscular--

Focus. 

"What are you doing here, darling?" He whispers, glancing up and down the hall. 

There are so many ways you could explain this. So many things you have to say, but the only thing that comes out of your mouth is "Obi-Wan," your voice cracking on the second syllable of his name. His eyes widen slightly, and he steps back, gesturing for you to enter. His quarters are small and simple with just a mattress on the floor and a desk.

"What's wrong?" He asks as soon as the door shuts and he flips on a light. He looks at you with deep concern across his features. 

You breathe deeply for a moment. Your silence is probably unsettling to him, but you just need a moment to gather your thoughts. You spent the entire cab ride rehearsing how you were going to say this and yet you still find yourself with your throat in knots. 

Obi-Wan is patient though, staring at your face and eventually looking at your soaking wet clothes. His concern grows. 

"Maul," you say softly. His eyes snap back up to yours. "Maul came to see me." 

"What?" You know he heard you so you pause as he processes. He steps back, gazing out the window at the rainy city before looking back at you. "Did he hurt you?" 

Your body flying across the room and slamming into the wall flashes through your mind. "No. He just..." you reach into your pocket, closing your fingers around the crown. "I woke up wearing this," you say, holding it out to him. You watch as his expression shifts from concern to confusion to devastation in a matter of seconds. He slowly reaches out, taking the headpiece in his hands and rubbing his thumbs against the smooth surface. "That's her--"

"Yes. It is. It... was." 

"I'm so sorry." You say, and his eyes move up to look at you. In a swift motion, he steps forward, pulling you into his chest and hugging you closely. You wrap your arms around him, burrowing your head in his shoulder while he presses his into your neck. You hold him as tightly as he holds you-- pulling you impossibly close and warming your shivering body with his body heat. 

"No, I am. I should have made sure he was dead over a decade ago." 

"You cut him in half. That's usually sufficient." 

You feel him smile against your skin. "One would think." He finally pulls away, holding you at an arm's length. "Are you aware that you're soaking wet?"

Obi-Wan gives you a shirt and pants to change into, as well as his cloak. He slips on his own nightshirt-- much to your disappointment-- and disappears into the temple while you change into his clothes. He returns a few minutes later with two cups of tea. 

You both sit on his bed, cross-legged facing one another as you recount exactly what happened. From him knocking on the door to him using the Force to knock you unconscious for a few hours and the state you found yourself. He listens intently, holding onto the crown in his lap the whole time. 

"I'm just glad he didn't hurt me." you finish. Obi-Wan grimaces.

"I don't like that he even had the chance." 

"I think that's his game though." 

You think you understand what Maul was doing. He's planning something. Trying to bait Obi-Wan into coming after him again. He's using Satine and you to rile up his emotions, make him act impulsively. You think the fact that both you and Obi-Wan know this is a good sign. Maul isn't as sneaky as he thinks he is and he isn't going to get under Obi-Wan's skin like this. 

Obi-Wan strokes his beard, sighing. "You're right. He wants to make me feel powerless."

"It won't work." 

"I wish it didn't," He looks down at the crown again, his thumb tracing the raised edges of the stones. "But I've seen Maul kill in cold blood, and I'm afraid that isn't something I can witness again." 

You place your hand on his knee, making him look up at you. "You mustn't be afraid because of this. That's what he wants and you know it." 

"You're starting to sound like a Jedi," he says his eyes twinkling in the light, making your chest hurt. They're only twinkling because they're wet with the tears he's holding in. 

"No kidding, I spend far too much time with them."

"You are right though. I'm not acting like myself."

You look at the man clutching his dead lover's headpiece with tear-filled eyes. It is far from the Jedi Master and General that you have known for years, but in a strange way, you respect him so much more for his vulnerability. He wakes up every day, puts on his robes and armor, and leads with the bravery and stoicism that he is infamous for throughout the galaxy. He tucks away the men he's lost, the horrible things he's had to do, and even the heartbreak he's sustained to do his duty. 

And you have been granted the honor to see him in this state of weakness. As much as it breaks your heart to know he's hurting it also strengthens your feelings for him that much more. Years ago you complained in the cantinas about the Jedi without a heart, always foiling your plans and showing up at the most unexpected times. You never thought you'd have fallen for that heartless Jedi. 

"You're acting like someone who watched a woman he loved for years get murdered. Like a general who's watched a war go past its expiration date. Obi-Wan," you set your tea down and lean forward to slip your hands into his. Satine's crown falls into his lap. "you are rightfully _exhausted_. What you are feeling is justified and you need to let yourself mourn."

"These... feelings I'm having are not the Jedi way." 

You want to point out to him that spending the night in your arms and kissing you multiple times in the last few rotations is also not the Jedi way, but you don't think he's in the right state for your quips. 

"Must I remind the _Jedi Master_ what he once told me about meditation? I do believe it was something along the lines of _meditation is a time to process the emotions so you can overcome them."_

"The council really ought to knight you at this point." 

"I'm serious. I can't have you going back into that battle worrying about me. The 212th needs the full capacity of their General and I need you on top of your game so you can come back to me in one piece." 

His eyes search your face for a moment as your words sink in. He finally nods, a small smile on his lips. An appreciative one.

"You truly are one of the most incredible people I've ever met." 

You lean in, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. "I do believe I should leave you to your meditating... and before anyone finds me sitting in your bed wearing your robes." 

"It would make for quite the scandal." 

"What are the odds of you getting questioned about my late night arrival." 

"By the council-- pretty low actually. By Anakin though... I'm sure he will pester me about it for much of our journey tomorrow." 

Your smile fades and he seems to realize his own words. "Right... I was going to come see you in the morning." 

"Am I not going too?" 

His lips press together in a thin line. "Intelligence is ordering all spies to return to Coruscant."

"Well that's just--"

"This is _good_ ," he says squeezing your hands. "It means they believe the war will end soon. We are so very close. The council is sending most of the Jedi out to multiple systems to assist the forces. We still have work to do, but we know the path we must take to victory." 

"Very well, but I'm still going to complain about it." you roll your eyes, earning a chuckle from Obi-Wan. 

"I'm sure they will have plenty for you to do here." 

"I very much hope so." you say, standing from his bed and downing the last of the tea. You slip off his cloak and change back into your still-damp clothes while he turns around. Out of the corner of your eye, you notice him taking quick glances over his shoulder, which you choose to ignore with a sly smile. You finally get situated, shrugging on your cloak. He stands, giving you a sad look as he hugs you tightly, kissing the top of your head.

"Be careful," you say into his chest. "but also kick some ass."

"I will do just that," he replies, brushing his fingers through your hair. You lean back, taking a good look at his bed head and sleepy eyes gazing back at you. You hold onto the moment, feeling the need to draw it out. He looks at you funny. "What is it?" 

"Nothing... I just have this weird feeling. Like when you left after Canto Bight."

He kisses your forehead softly. "I'll be back. You can't get rid of me that easy." 


	14. That Temper of Yours

It took about a rotation for you to run out of things to quench your boredom. You slept in after the late-night spent in the Jedi Temple with Obi-Wan, waking up after lunchtime. After cleaning your apartment you ran down to the lower levels and bought a few more blasters and stun guns to stash around your apartment... just in case. Just because you forbid Obi-Wan from worrying about you didn't mean you weren't afraid. 

Then what else was there to do? You tried to contact Matese but only could leave a holo message. You had no other orders of what to be doing. 

You tried to live a normal life for a moment. You bought some new clothes and went to the market to get some groceries. That night you even visited a cantina for a drink, but somehow it wasn't the same. You longed for the company of your friends in the 212th, the banter with the Jedi. Obi-Wan in general. You missed him the first time he took off gallivanting across the galaxy, but this time felt different. 

A few days pass.

And then all hell breaks loose. 

You began your journey with the Republic at a small bombing and isolated attack of Coruscant nearly three years ago. The Separatists were disorganized then, easily conquered and their attempts squashed within a short battle. The occurrence is barely included in the battle records of the Clone Wars. 

This time, they don't make that same mistake. 

You're awakened by a rumbling, and the sound of your com blaring through the early morning. You jump out of bed to receive the automated transmission to come to the senate building immediately. 

The Chancellor has been kidnapped by General Grevious. Coruscant is under attack. 

You run to your window, opening it and gazing up into the sky where massive starships are faintly visible in the sky. The city is eerily quiet, only a warning message on the holo screens displaying an order to take cover. You slam your window shut and throw on some clothes. Before you can process anything you jump on your speeder and head towards the Senate building. 

You arrive in the briefing room packed full of other people that you've never met. You suppose these would be your coworkers if you operated under a normal handler. You spot Matese across the room and go to meet him. 

"What is going on?" you ask your old handler.

"Separatist invasion. They kidnapped Chancellor Palpatine."

"I got that part, what are _we_ doing here?"

"I think we're about to find out." 

You look up to see two men at the front. The room quiets down. 

"Thank you for coming. If you've looked up at the sky today or read your messages you will see that the Separatists have invaded Coruscant and kidnapped the Chancellor. We need everyone on this, so we have separated you into groups. One group will be working on intercepting and decoding transmissions from the enemy, one will be documenting transmissions from our side, and a third will be sent out as scouts to monitor any activity that reaches the surface. I do think..."

"Who is that?" You whisper to Matese.

"Dodd Rancit. Captain Teller's superior." 

You assume the man standing next to Rancit is Teller. You've seen him around and many of your missions were distributed by him. 

"What about the Chancellor?"

"I heard they dispatched some Jedi to take care of that."

He gives you a pointed look, which you ignore, pretending to listen to the rest of Rancit's briefing. Somehow you don't need to ask who was sent to aid the Chancellor. You just sort of... know. 

You look up as if you can see through the ceiling and the many floors of the Senate building. You can imagine the ships zipping through space, firing at one another in the upper atmosphere. Many will die, as they do in these sorts of heavy battles. 

_He will be fine._ You tell yourself. 

They assign you to transmissions-- a job Obi-Wan often had you doing while on his ships when you weren't on missions. They sat you in a small room with half a dozen other agents in front of individual desks and a headset. Your duty was to transcribe messages, sending them off to the internal database for further review of their importance. 

While usually an easy task, you found yourself flooded with them. Each one painted a dimmer picture of the war happening above. They begin to blur together after a while, the stories were vague and nameless for the most part. 

SURPRISE ATTACK ON HOME DEFENSE FLEET BY CONFEDERACY FLEET.

STRIKE TEAM ON WORLD. ATTACK A DISTRACTION?

CHANCELLOR TAKEN HOSTAGE! 

JEDI REPORTED DEAD OR INJURED. 

You have to remind yourself that Obi-Wan isn't on the planet.

CHANCELLOR PALPATINE HOSTAGE ABOARD THE _INVISIBLE HAND_. 

EXPLOSION ABOARD THE _INVISIBLE HAND!_

COUNT DOOKU REPORTED DEAD. GENERAL GRIEVOUS REPORTED FLEEING.

 _INVISIBLE HAND_ CRASH LANDS ON CORUSCANT. JEDI BELIEVED TO BE ON BOARD.

A horrifying lull followed. Then:

CHANCELLOR REPORTED SAFE THANKS TO JEDI HELP.

CONFEDERACY RETREAT!

The final report of the battle comes in and relief sweeps through the room. You feel like most of it originates from you seeing that the unnamed Jedi who aided in Palpatine's safety had also arrived back. 

Your duties don't end though. Despite the battle technically won, you were locked into your work, still taking in the reports from the clones assessing the damages and remaining ships. The Separatist fleet now had a large chunk out of it. To you, it didn't make much sense. Obviously they wanted the Chancellor, but at what cost? Their fleet is depleted, their top General is in hiding. Strategy wise, they made a critical error. One you hope will be in the Republic's favor.

You keep glancing at your com, hoping Obi-Wan will reach out if you are correct in his presence on the planet. You know it will only disappoint you if you don't hear from him, but it's something to get you through the long hours of listening to grim transmissions about death counts and decimated ships. You could call him, but you aren't sure that he really was part fo the team that found Palpatine. Plus, you told him not to worry about you. To do his job and finish things. 

At this rate, the war will end and you will see him soon anyways. You put your com in your pocket and continue going through transmissions. 

Hours pass, though it's hard to tell in a windowless room in the center of the Senate building. You take a few short breaks to use the fresher, but you want to ensure things stay peaceful before you take your leave for sleep. Your eyes are beginning to droop with exhaustion when a classified transmission comes in that doesn't involve the battle injury tolls. 

GRIEVOUS SUSPECTED ON UTAPAU. THIRD SYSTEMS ARMY SENT TO INVESTIGATE. 

You have no idea how long you've sat at this desk-- likely over a rotation at this point-- but suddenly you feel wide awake. Obi-Wan's division is being sent to track down General Grevious. There is no doubt he is with them.

You look around the room. The people around you are different than when you began. You were so enthralled in the transmissions that you hadn't noticed the changes. You can feel Matese staring at you across the room, as he was put in charge of supervision the transmission team. You avoid his gaze and continue your transcriptions. 

After a few more hours, you feel a hand on your shoulder. 

"You need to sleep," Matese says quietly.

"I'm fine." 

"Don't make a scene. Come with me for a moment," he says sternly. You hesitantly put your headset down and follow Matese into the hall. He looks tired as well, a shadow of facial hair growth across his jaw and dark circles underneath his eyes. You stand with your arms crossed, leaning back against the wall. "Watching the transmissions come in isn't going to change anything." 

"I don't know what you mean." 

"I'm not an idiot," he says, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I see the same transmissions you do. I see the way you react whenever they mention Jedi or, more specifically, General Kenobi's troops," he whispers the last part of his sentence. 

"He... he's my handler and--"

"I don't really care what he is or isn't. Right now _I'm_ your handler and I'm telling you you look like hell. Go home. Sleep. Eat a big breakfast. There will be plenty of transmissions for you to go over in the morning." 

"I really don't--"

He steps in front of the door, blocking your way. "This is an order." 

Matese disappears into the room, shutting the door behind him. You let out a frustrated growl, slamming the side of your fist into the wall. A dull BOOM reverberates up the corridor.

"What have I told you about that temper of yours." A familiar voice quips behind you. You whirl around, excitement blossoming in your chest as the voice you're hearing isn't a hallucination. Obi-Wan stands ten steps away, his arms crossed over his chest, and that amused look across that smug face. 

"Obi-Wan?" You approach him quickly, holding yourself back from throwing your arms around him. You stand tall in front of him like the clones do while he gives orders.

"Come, my dear." he says softly, turning and gesturing for you to follow him. You walk alongside him down the hallway. At the end of it, he punches in a code and opens the door. It's a small conference room. The two of you step inside and he closes the door, locking it. As soon as the lock turns he closes the distance between you, hugging you tightly. You wrap your arms around his waist and hold him close. From the way he's holding you, pressing the occasional kiss to your temple, you aren't sure if this embrace is for his comfort or yours. Maybe both. 

He pulls back slightly, looking into your eyes with a forlorn expression before he dips down, kissing you in that tame manner he does so often. 

After the day you've had, you need just a little more than Obi-Wan's polite affection. You cup his cheek, deepening the kiss enough to make his breath hitch and his hands grip your hips just a little tighter. 

You're lifted off the ground as Obi-Wan sits you up on the desk. Your legs instinctively wrap around his waist, holding him just where you want him.

Your fingers mess up his freshly combed hair as he trails kisses down your jaw and to your neck just below your ear. In predictable Kenobi fashion, he's meticulous, taking his time to slowly press his lips to your skin, allowing his hot breath to tickle your nerves and ignite a dangerous feeling of desire within you. 

You tap the bottom of his chin, bringing him back up to your lips as you cool things down. From the way his fingers are grazing the hem of your shirt, you can tell you're a little too close to covering the floors in discarded robes. 

He leans back, your legs still wrapped securely around him. His flustered breathing and red cheeks make you smile shyly. His pupils are dilated, that clear blue looking a few shades darker than usual. You poke his swollen lips with your finger and he swats you away playfully. 

"I should surprise you at work more often." he chuckles. 

"You've caught me on a bad day." 

"What does a _good_ _day_ look like then?" 

"Usually means I'm working _with_ you, so it may be difficult to surprise me." 

"I'll find a way." 

You let your legs drop from his waist, but he still remains standing between your legs, his hands rested comfortably on your waist as he rubs his thumbs up and down in therapeutic circles.

As thrilled as you are to see him, you can't help but notice the grim expression he hides behind his smile. His fleeting glances at his com. You, of course, know his company is leaving soon.

"Are you okay?"

With that, his happiness fades into a set jaw and hardened expression. General Kenobi has reentered the building. 

"I'm going to--"

"Utapau." He raises an eyebrow as you cut in. "They had me on transmissions. I... I know Grevious escaped."

His frown deepens. "How long have you been listening to the transmissions?" 

You know where he's going with this. He's well aware of your hypocrisy when it comes to his sleeplessness. 

"Since the battle began." 

"That was two days ago, darling." 

"Matese kicked me out." 

"Good man. You deserved that." 

"I was worried about you." 

He sighs. "How did you even know it was--"

"Half a starship crashlanded on Coruscant. Are you telling me that _wasn't_ you and Anakin?" 

He raises his finger and his mouth opens to object, but he drops it, his shoulders dropping in defeat. "Anakin was driving." 

"Of course he was. And the Chancellor was brought back to safety but Grevious escaped. And now you're coming to say goodbye... am I right." 

"Always the perceptive one." 

"It's my job." 

He finally drops his hands from your hips and steps back. You slide off the table, walking up to him and wrapping your arms around his neck and kissing him on the cheek. 

"I'll be back, my dear." 

"I know you will. Thank you for coming to see me. I needed this." 

"I needed it too," You pull apart, reaching up and fixing the parts of his hair that you messed up earlier. He shakes his head with a deep sigh. 

"Anakin is supposed to walk with me to the ship. How obvious is it that I just came from a secret rendezvous?" 


	15. I'm Here.

Dinner. 

Sleep. 

Breakfast. 

Matese called. Told you not to come in today. They finished the salvage job and the transmissions were few and far between. You suspect he's not being entirely truthful about that, but you comply. 

Shower. 

Nap. You're more worn out than you thought. You practically fell asleep into your food the night before. You didn't even bother to change into pajamas. 

You wake up mid-afternoon. No messages on your com. Nothing on the Holonet about any new developments. Just the usual headlines. 

Wars waging on through the Outer Rim. Citizens angry about the fighting on Coruscant. You scoff at the interviews of 5000 level citizens pleading their concerns with the reporter. They supported this war until it showed up on their front porch. They talk about being frightened and suddenly their position has changed. How do they think the citizens of other worlds feel? Far worse has happened to far more systems. 

You lie back on your bed, staring at the ceiling. You hadn't thought about it, but will you have a purpose once the war is over? Will the Republic still need spies? Did they have spies before the war? 

There's a lot you don't know. You hardly remember life before the war at this point. It's only been a few years, but missions and battles have been all-encompassing.

You find yourself in that same fit of boredom you were in a few days prior. 

After the battle, a lot of establishments took the day off. The cantinas and markets on the lower levels would probably be open, but you burned a lot of bridges down there after leaving your old life. They don't really like to see your face around there much. 

Seeing Obi-Wan did give you an idea though. You've put off trying it, but you've been meaning to attempt to meditate. Not just the short version you do before missions, but an actual Jedi meditation. 

You sit up, tucking your legs underneath you, hands in your lap, and closing your eyes. 

Breathe in.

Breathe out. 

In.

Out. 

You remember that breathing is important. Obi-Wan always has an even cadence to his breath. Even when he's in battle sometimes... his cardiac health must be impeccable. 

Then again, you _have_ seen what he has hiding under those robes. That chiseled chest and tight core and--.

You're pretty sure _these_ thoughts are distinctively forbidden by the Jedi Order. You're not even two minutes into meditation and you're probably already offending some dead relics somewhere in the great beyond. 

Focus. 

Focus. 

In. 

Out. 

In. 

Out. 

What else did he say about meditation? You work through your emotions. Process things. Anticipate. 

Well, what do you have to process?

Is boredom an emotion?

Fear. Obi-Wan always seems bothered when he realizes he's afraid. Like it's a bad word. 

_The path to the dark side,_ he said once. 

What are you afraid of? 

In. 

Out. 

Having to go back to your old life. 

Falling down one of the ventilation shafts.

Obi-Wan not returning. 

Being a slave again. 

Running into your mother. 

A shiver runs down your spine. Stars, what would you even say to her if you were to see her? What would she say to you? 

Is it wrong that you never looked for her? 

It was definitely wrong that she left you. You know that. 

She was sick though. She had a problem. She couldn't control it. 

_Why are you justifying her abandoning you?_ you ask yourself, squeezing the fabric of the end of your shirt with your fists. 

Anger. You know for sure that's a Sith emotion. You release the end of your shirt and fold your hands together. 

You made it on your own. You survived. You don't need her. You've moved on. 

You have a great life now. You work for a good cause. You won't have to be a slave again, either. You did your time. Jabba can't get to you. 

And even if he did, you have people in your life for the first time. People who would notice if you went missing. People who would come looking for you. 

There is no reason to be afraid. You won't have to con again. Or be a slave. You doubt you'll ever run into your mother if she's even still alive. Falling down a ventilation shaft is still a fair fear, but maybe if you can get good with the Force you can learn how to soften the blow. 

That just leaves Obi-Wan returning. The worst part of it is you really can't control any aspect of that. You must let it go though, as you told him to let his fear for you go. 

The tension in your shoulders disappears, and you hold your head higher. A calmness spreads through your chest and you let it flow through you. 

Yes. This is right. This is what they mean by feeling the Force. It's difficult to comprehend in to words or even process through thought, but you know it's happening. You can feel the people around you. The woman housing unit next to you is content. Warm. You sense the young child also in the unit, the innocence of its mind. Above you a young man is anxious. The faint words of the holonet news echo. He's afraid of the war. The consequences. Outside a meer rat wanders the streets, avoiding the spots of light and the few people that wander around outside. 

Your face darkens as propel downwards. The lower levels. An old woman sobs. She's grieving. Her son, she lost her son. 

You move on. A young child. Hunger tugs at his belly, that deep ache that feels like your stomach is eating you alive. 

Running water through the pipes. 

A burst of gas out of an exhaust pipe.

Speeders blazing by. 

Sirens. 

It's surrounding you, and you can feel it so vividly. Like you're there with the people or you're reaching out and touching the water with your hand. 

Inhale. 

Exhale. 

Inhale. 

Exhale. 

There's something else. 

It's very faint. Like a loose thread on the hem of a worn shirt. You desire to pull it but you get the feeling that if you do you'll unravel something you're not ready for. You're a little afraid. 

You aren't supposed to be afraid though, right? You reach out, grabbing that thread and tugging lightly. Sure enough, it unravels a little. 

There's a distant cry. At least that's what it sounds like. You pull at the thread again, this time the cries are louder.

You can't stop now. You pull again and cries turn to shrieks. Shrieks of terror and betrayal. The sound of blaster shots being fired off lightsabers. 

The smell of singed flesh. The cries of the innocent. 

A pinpoint of pain radiates in your head, and you feel like you've been turned upside down. Like the blood is rushing into your head. You need to stop, but now everything is crashing down so quickly. The beacons for help echo in your mind. 

_Come in. Come in, please. The Clones are attacking._

_The clones are attacking_. 

Your eyes snap open and then you're falling. You land face-first on your bed, sweat covering your forehead and tears streaming down your face.

They're dying. The Jedi are dying and you can feel the Force crying out in anguish as their lives are torn from them. 

By clones. 

The clones are attacking. 

_The clones are attacking._

It... can't be. 

You grab your com. It's blinking from a message you didn't hear come in. 

Maybe it's Obi-Wan. Maybe he's getting away from this. Commander Cody would never. Cody is a loyal and valuable friend. 

Matese appears on the hologram. You can see the fast-paced commotion in the background. 

_"You must come in immediately. A Jedi has tried to murder the Chancellor. The whole order is being charged with treason. I know you have loyalties--"_ You shut down the transmission, throwing your com across the room. It slams into the wall, shattering. 

No. It can't be. 

A loud explosion rocks the walls of your apartment. You jump up, looking for some indication of where it came from. When you don't see anything outside the window you grab as many blasters as you can fit on your belt, throw on your cloak, and run out of your apartment. At street level you see it. Smoke rising from the Jedi Temple. The other citizens in the street gasp at the spectacle.

Sirens blare through the city. All speeders are headed away from the Temple and Senate buildings. Around you swirls a cold darkness. It seems to originate from the Temple itself.

What the fuck are you supposed to do? You're a spy of the Republic but you're well known among your colleagues as a friend to the Jedi. Matese calling in may have been a trap. The clones are killing the Jedi and you have no idea by whose order, but you do know the Republic is declaring the order treasonous. 

Everything the Jedi have done for the Republic and... now, this? The men they fought alongside killing them without a second thought? It just doesn't add up. 

You do know you can't stay in your apartment. They have your residence on file. But they don't have...

You take off down the street. You don't look back at the black smoke billowing from the Temple. 

* * *

You feel trapped.

You haven't heard any word. You don't know who's alive or dead. 

You also can't bring yourself to meditate again. You fear what you will find. 

You were right about Matese baiting you into coming back. You surveyed your apartment and watched as a unit of troopers stormed your home. You weren't there to greet them. 

The media was having a field day. In an instant, the entire galaxy had seemingly turned against the Jedi. 

Every day you lost a little more hope. You still sat there staring at that door all day, unsure of who would come knocking. Or who would break it down. You hadn't missed the musk and darkness of your old unit. It certainly didn't help the distress you were in already. 

Two days pass.

Maybe it's three?

You get restless. 

You could break into the Senate building. Look at the death reports. It would give you the answer you need, but the entire area has been heavily locked down since the Chancellor declared the Republic the Galactic Empire. _Empire._ The word runs a shiver up your spine. This is everything you didn't want.

You concentrate your thoughts on these things. The future of democracy. Your own eventual capture. Anything to keep your mind off of him. 

You won't accept that he's gone. You'll give him another day. He can't... he can't be gone. 

The hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. You jump up, your hands resting on your blasters. You hadn't felt any sort of movement around here since you took it as your hiding place. They shut down these housing units a cycle ago because of the instability of the foundation, so it was empty except for you. There is definitely someone climbing the stairs right now. 

It could be him. Hope prods at your heart and for a moment you let your hands fall from the blasters. 

The footsteps get closer, approaching the door. 

Or it could be Maul. Or Matese. Or a squad of troopers. 

You pull out your blaster and duck behind the corner. You press your back into the wall just as the door opens. 

You hold your breath. If its troopers they will roll in a smoke canister or a bomb to flush you out. If it's Matese he probably will try to sneak up on you. 

"Darling?" 

And if it's Obi-Wan... if it's really him he will just call for you. You put your blasters down and peer around the corner carefully. The door shuts and there he stands, his eyes shifting to you immediately. 

You step out, tears forming in your eyes as you just stand there for a moment to make sure he's actually standing there. He looks worn out, his eyes puffy like he's been crying. His hair is a mess, unkempt, and caked with dirt and ash and his robes look to be covered in singe marks. He looks like he just walked out of hell. 

"Darling," he says again, his voice breaking. 

"Obi," you whisper as your tears spill over and you run to him, pulling him desperately into your arms. You both collapse to your knees, and he sobs into your shirt. You weep quietly, trying to pull as much of his quivering body as close to you as you can.

"He's gone," he cries, your shoulder muffling the sound. 

"Who?"

"Anakin. He's gone. I-I-" His words degrade into mere blubbering as he tries to get the sentence out. You've never seen him so broken. Not when he talks about Qui-Gon. Not even when he lost Satine.

"Shhh, it's okay, it's okay. I'm here." 

"The clones. They--they murdered,"

"I know. I know." Despite your attempt to be strong the shaking in your voice is betraying you. Obi-Wan gives up his explanation and just cries. You hold him as your knees go numb and you can feel the stain of his tears soaking through your shirt and onto your skin. It's like everything he has ever held in is coming out at this moment and all you can do is be there for him to hold onto while he rides it out. 

His sobs fade and you begin to loosen your grip, letting your hands rub circles on his back and brush through his tangled hair to soothe him. You press soft kisses to his temple periodically. He stays collapsed into your chest. 

"They think I'm dead," he says, his voice thick from crying. He turns his head slightly so he's not speaking into your shirt. You can feel his breath on your neck as he speaks.

"They tried to... Cody..."

"Yes."

You swallow hard. Cody was a close friend to both you and Obi-Wan. It makes your head hurt to know he turned on Obi-Wan like that. 

"I don't understand." 

"I do not fully understand it either."

"How did this even happen?" 

"Sidious," he says softly. "Palpatine is a Sith. I don't know how we could have missed it..." 

You let that sink in for a moment. It sounds ludicrous but... at this point you'd just about believe anything. 

"It's not your fault. Palpatine had us all fooled. He has the galaxy fooled now. But you can't blame yourself." 

"It's my job to know, though. To be able to sense that there's a Sith Lord in the fucking room." 

"Did Yoda know? Windu?" 

He pauses. "No."

"Then you can't blame yourself. Doing that will tear you apart."

He draws in a shaky breath. "I know you're right. It doesn't feel that way right now, though." 

"It's a fresh wound, Obi. It will take time." In your mind, you flashback to your youth. Standing in the servant quarters staring into the dirty fresher mirror. You just stood there staring at your swollen cheeks and puffy red eyes, the tears long gone but the evidence imprinted on your features. You had just been dropped off at Jabba's palace. "It'll be at the forefront of your mind for a long time." All you could think about was your mother returning to get you. And then she never did and your mind was plagued by what she could be doing without you. Did she start a new family? Did she forget about you? "But eventually, you'll realize you haven't thought about it in a few hours. And then it doesn't come t mind for a few days. And then you go for a few weeks. A couple of months. Maybe even a year in due time, but that's just it. You almost died. You watched some of your closest friends die. The entire life you know is changing. This is not something you're going to get over right away." 

You still think about your mom. Maybe every few months. The scars are there, but they don't bleed anymore. You know what it's like to lose everything. To blame yourself for the way things turned out. It's an easy pit of dispair to fall into, but you found your way out. _Obi-Wan_ pulled you out. And now you want to return to favor. 

Obi-Wan suddenly leans back, looking into your eyes and cupping your face with both hands. He leans in, kissing you frantically before leaning his forehead against yours. 

"I love you," he says, barely louder than a whisper. "I love you so much." 

You bite your lip, your heart feeling like it's exploding. "Stars, I love you too Obi-Wan." 

And for a moment you forget where you're sitting. The circumstances of this sudden admission. All you know is that you are bursting with relief and adrenaline and this giddy feeling that you've been feeling for weeks now and just realized that all along it was _love_. 

That moment of serenity, of course, comes crashing down.

Outside the window, you hear the familiar sound of troopers talking through the voice modulators in their helmets and the pounding of boots. Obi-Wan's face darkens. At one point those sounds were an indicator that your friends were near. The feeling of dread in your chest is unfamiliar to you now. 

"We need to go. Now. There's a ship waiting for us." 

He stands up, offering you his hand. 

You take it. 

* * *

If you thought life was different after Order 66, you were underestimating how quickly everything could go to shit.

The Empire had risen. The Jedi were believed to have fallen. 

Anakin went to the dark side, leaving his wife and twin babies. 

Padmé didn't make it. 

Senator Organa took the girl. Padmé had named her Leia. 

You and Obi-Wan sit on a ship on the way to Tatooine. The boy, Luke, sleeps nearby. 

"You're sure his uncle will take him?" you ask. Obi-Wan nods. 

"Owen is a good man. He will be safe there. I'll make sure of it."

You look over your shoulder at the young child. He's sleeping soundly. 

"How can you be sure." Obi-Wan doesn't reply for a very long moment. It doesn't take an explanation for you to put it together. "You're staying on Tatooine?" 

"I too have to go into hiding. If I do so on Tatooine I can keep an eye on the boy." 

"You didn't think to tell me?" 

He keeps his gaze forward, which just pisses you off. You reach over and grab the arm of his chair, twisting it so he looks at you. The ship is on autopilot, he doesn't need to be holding the steering like he is. He turns, but his gaze is pointed down. 

"I didn't know how." 

Your anger dissipates in an instant as you look at his face. The shame and sadness so clearly etched into his features. 

You slip out of your chair and down onto your knees, placing your hands over his. He looks at you with those sad eyes, finally meeting your eye. 

"Obi-Wan. I'm not going to let you spend the rest of your life on that dust-bucket." 

"I've already--"

"Not alone at least." 

He stops, his eyebrow knit together, and confusion in his eyes.

"What do you--"

"This ship would sell for a fine price at Mos Eisley. We could easily purchase the materials to build, or find a foreclosed property and maybe even a speeder or rust bucket ship to fix up. You're good with ships, aren't you?" 

"Yes, but--"

"I always liked the fashion on Tatooine more than the Core Worlds. Much more comfortable even if you're always covered in sand." 

"You can stop interrupting me now, I think I get your point." He says, pressing his fingers to your lips, a small smile on his face. "But why? You don't have to." 

"I _want_ to. I stared at that door for days hoping you'd walk through it. Praying you'd be alive and the screaming Jedi I heard through the Force didn't include you. I'm not about to drop you off in the middle of the desert and turn my back on you. You were always there when I needed you, and now," you press your hand to his chest above where his heart would be. "I'm here for you." 

Obi-Wan seems speechless, but the smile that spreads across his face speaks volumes. He cups your cheek with one hand and you lean into his touch. 

"I can't believe I threatened to have you arrested so many years ago." 

"I can't believe you never followed through with having me arrested." 

A quiet laugh-- a sound you haven't heard in a long time from him-- escapes his lips. "You were far too beautiful to go to jail." 

"Oh _really_ now? You sure I didn't just have you beat?" 

"I'm sticking with the stunning beauty story." 

"Smart man." you pinch his cheek, sitting back in the co-pilot chair. He watches you closely. You check on Luke again before looking back at Obi-Wan, only to find him still staring. "What?" 

He shakes his head, that glimmer in his eye making a rare appearance. You haven't seen him with any sort of life in those eyes since Mustafar. Seeing him look at you like this gave you hope. Staying with him will be the right decision not only for him but for you too. 

"I just... I'm so lucky. The Force kept bringing you to me and I ignored it for so long instead of trusting the process. It took a literal bomb--"

"And me getting shrapnel to the side."

"Right, maybe if I listened earlier I could have avoided that." 

"I probably needed the wake-up call of a near-death experience if I'm being honest. Nothing like the cold embrace of blood loss to make you realize you're making the wrong life choices." 

"That's... one way of looking at it I suppose." 

The monitor beeps and Obi-Wan retakes control of the wheel. "Coming out of hyperspace," he announces, pulling a lever. The bright ribbons of light slow until the view of the sand-covered planet comes into view. You gaze down at Tatooine, the rays of the binary suns barely visible from the opposite side of the planet. It gives the dust bucket an angelic glow against the dark backdrop of space and the stars. A beacon for entry. 

"My old enemy becomes my new home," you say softly. You look over at Obi-Wan. He smiles and reaches across to take your hand. 

You were talking about Tatooine, but you realize as his fingers intertwine with yours tenderly that your statement applies to him as well. 


	16. Epilogue

Tatooine wasn't the most lovely planet to call home, but you made do. You and Obi-Wan built a small moisture farm at the edges of the Tuskan Raider territory. It was within walking distance of the Skywalker farm, though Obi-Wan... well, Ben as he called himself... generally kept his distance for the safety of young Luke.

It was nearly three years into your residence that you decided to officially get married. You still wore those rings from your fake-marriage mission around your neck, and one day Obi-Wan told you they would look better back on your finger. And of course, the male one wouldn't fit you so he would wear that one to match.

It was soon after that your first and only child arrived. Jinn was an unexpected occurrence, but not an unwelcome one. At first, you were afraid to bring a child into the age of the Galactic Empire. The future was largely unknown and there was much you had to hide from the boy. He wouldn't be able to know of his father's Jedi past or his mother's espionage. Jinn even bore your maiden name as an added precaution--though Obi-Wan declared his middle name to be Kenobi one drunken night. It was a fair compromise and you know how much it meant to him for his only son to carry on his name in some way.

As Jinn grew, the blessing of his existence became the saving grace of your lives. He became the only thing, next to you, that could bring a genuine smile to Obi-Wan's lips. With his father's clear blue eyes and calm demeanor and his mother's wit and craftiness, Jinn was a bit of a troublemaker as he entered his adolescence. He became the primary defender against womp rat attacks, armed with a large staff he crafted together using some spare parts. He was also quite the pilot, sometimes coming home talking about the older boy named Skywalker that taught him a new trick on the speeder. 

You and Obi-Wan always exchanged knowing glances. You knew you couldn't keep the secret of your past locked away forever.

That day came when Jinn was twelve. Obi-Wan hid the speeder starters after Jinn broke his curfew and woke up late for his morning chores, which led the boy to a locked box under his parent's bed. Opening that box opened up a long conversation that left the boy with more than he bargained for. His boring farmer parents weren't who they seemed after all. 

Inevitably, he started asking questions about the Jedi. It took a few months but he finally wore Obi-Wan down. Their compromise was that he would learn the ways of the Force, but he would not learn lightsaber combat. He thought the lightsaber would draw too much attention. Jinn agreed to these terms, more interested in his pilot training anyways.

Jinn finding Obi-Wan's lightsaber came at a good time. After the secret was out, Obi-Wan began carrying his saber with him more for protection. He was certainly fed up with having to use a blaster. Though Obi-Wan was mostly closed off from the Force, it was like it never stopped looking out for him. You were with Jinn in the market getting supplies to fix the backup generator when a sand storm hit, marooning you in the town for the night. 

That was the night Maul finally delivered on his promise to seek his revenge, and the night Obi-Wan killed his most persistent enemy for the last time.

Three years later, Jinn's excellent flying got him the attention of the Empire's fighter pilot program. They were persistent in their efforts to recruit the fifteen-year-old, which worried you and Obi-Wan. You were torn between Obi-Wan's duty to watch over Luke and your duty to your son. In the end, Jinn made the decision for you. You celebrated his sixteenth birthday that night. You thought he would spend it with his friends but he decided to stay in with you. You had a lovely dinner and even splurged on his favorite dessert. It was a perfect day.

The next morning Jinn went into town. He never returned. 

He sent a transmission a few days later that he got a job as a second mate on a ship. He wouldn't ever fly for the Empire and he didn't want them to find you and Obi-Wan either. In his selfless act, you lost your son, but you found your solace in the frequent transmissions he sent of all the worlds he got to see along the way.

Unfortunately, you only lived to see his transmissions for another few months before falling ill. Obi-Wan gave you a fusion of a Jedi and a soldier's funeral. Jinn stood beside him, helping him lower you into the ground with the Force. Before he was able to leave again, Obi-Wan sold the farm and most of the family's belongings. He walked Jinn into town, leading him to a docking bay with a modest but well-maintained ship. It had a sizable cargo hull and room for a few crew members as well as a fully stocked weapons system. 

The final goodbye before Jinn boarded the ship his father had gifted to him was the last time they saw each other. Jinn would feel his father's departure from the living world nearly a year later. 

His father's death was a wake-up call for Jinn. He left the shipping business and sought out a rebel cell in one of the Outer Rim Territories, joining them as their pilot. He continued to tell the stories his father had told him of the Jedi and the hope they could give to the galaxy. He often assisted the Rebel Alliance in battles, including the decisive Battle of Jakku. 

Jinn settled down on Chandrila after the New Republic took power, meeting a woman that would eventually become his wife. Jinn took a position teaching at a flight school in the capital city. They eventually decided to start a family, trying for many years until his wife finally gave birth to a baby girl they named Rey.

Her arrival was a joyous occasion, but it brought up many questions about her future. Jinn had become friends with Luke and Leia during his time working with the Rebels, divulging to them of his father's true identity and his limited Force training. With the birth of their daughter, he had considered sending her to Luke's Jedi Temple, but he didn't know where it was or how to contact Luke. What he did know is his baby girl was strong. Even Jinn could sense her great strength with the Force. 

However, so could others. Her presence attracted powerful enemies who weren't above the destruction of a young child. Jinn began hearing the whispers of the dark side attempting to reach her. It was beyond his understanding of why assassins were being sent after his child and family, but it scared him. Afraid of the consequences, he took his family on the run. 

Hunted by an assassin, they hopped from world to world trying to evade him, but their efforts were in vain. Those who wanted their young daughter dead were getting closer and closer and they couldn't do anything about it. They had lost touch with their allies in the rebel alliance, and their hope was waning. 

In a last-ditch effort, they left their daughter on a planet where she wouldn't be found. Jinn's wife's family had lived on Jakku for many generations, and while they were distant family they would be able to keep an eye on her until they could return. Jinn had a plan to seek out Luke Skywalker and secure a safe place for his daughter at his temple. They left their daughter with heavy hearts, but with the full intentions of returning. 

Their luck ran out before they could carry out their plan. They were killed by an assassin soon after their departure from Jakku. Just before their execution, Jinn held his wife in his arms, as the faint voice of his father echoed in his head: 

_"You have done well, my dear son. Your actions have saved your daughter's life and she shall one day be a beacon of hope and bring peace to the galaxy. I will watch over her."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I am apparently very bad at writing one-shots because that was all this was meant to be when I started writing it. It was a lot of fun to see where the story went, and I hope it was as enjoyable to read!
> 
> I had this realization that in the AU of this story, it technically makes the Rey Kenobi theory work, which is something that I so wish the sequels had decided to do. Just imagine the pure poetry for a Skywalker and a Kenobi to go from enemies to friends after the Skywalker-Kenobi fallout in the prequels. I digress though.
> 
> While I usually like to stick fairly close to canon, I just had to get this down on paper in some way. An epilogue seemed like a good way to get it out of my system.
> 
> Again, thank you for the kudos and the wonderful comments throughout writing this! It is a great feeling to see all the love and support.

**Author's Note:**

> Interested in what Obi-Wan is thinking in all of this? Check out Pulling at Loose Threads, which centers around Obi-Wan's point of view. It is the next story in the Republic Spies and Jedi Guys series following the same plotlines.


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